Unfinished Business
by e-dog
Summary: Two ghosts haunt the halls of Manderlee, always waiting for that day when they will be eternally at peace. Little do they realize that all they need to accomplish this is to rely on themselves. [Warning: Character Deaths...sorta]
1. The Day We Died

Disclaimer: JAG is the property of Donald P. Bellisario, Paramount Pictures, CBS Television and Belisarius Productions. I hope I spelled all of that stuff right.

Author's Note: (1)This is my Halloween/Ghost story. Hehe. Now I'm trying something really new for me. This story has major character deaths but at the same time they aren't major character deaths. It's really hard to explain until you've reached the end of the opening chapter, but it's not that bad! This story will change the ending of Hail and Farewell Pt. 2 and blatantly ignore the rest of Season 10.

Summary: Two ghosts haunt the halls of Manderlee, always waiting for that day when they will be eternally at peace. Little do they realize that all they need to accomplish this is to rely on themselves.

"Unfinished Business"

by e-dog

**Chapter One: The Day We Died**

_**Manderlee**_

_**September 24, 2004**_

Harmon Rabb, Jr.'s eyes flew open suddenly. He felt dreamy and lethargic as if he had just taken a long nap. He looked above him at the plain white ceiling and saw the sunlight filtering through the lone window. His eyes shifted in his head, back and forth, trying to recognize where he was. He slowly moved his body. It was so strange. He could barely feel the bed beneath him as he pulled himself up into an upright position. Everything felt so...numb. He tried thinking about what he did last but was hard pressed to remember anything at all. He couldn't remember what he ate for breakfast or what he did last week. As he thought harder, it took him a long time to recall what he did for a living!

He shook his head as if trying to loosen the cobwebs in his foggy mind. He turned to see Sarah Mackenzie lying next to him, also asleep. It amazed him how he even remembered her name with the way he was feeling right now. Even still, he scrunched his forehead now very confused. Why were they even in the same bed? He finally pulled himself up off the bed and stood up. He stretched and turned around to wake her up. His breath caught in his throat, or so he thought it did, as he viewed the unthinkable.

His body was still on the bed as if he had never moved. He was standing there looking at himself; a crumpled form laying in an uncomfortable position. His eyes closed, trying not to see. He muttered the words, "No way..." as he stood perfectly still, and resumed staring at himself. Then he saw it. The blood. His blood. It was hard to see in the red fabric of his shirt, but the stain was there. A blood stain from what appeared to be a gunshot wound to his abdomen. At the sight of this, he felt he had no choice but to whimper, "Mac...?"

He wasn't aware his utterance was loud enough to be heard, but she stirred at the sound of her name. His eyes widened in horror as he watched a misty form of her rise from the bed, while her actual body remained still. Just like him, her movements were slow. She yawned and stared at him. Her brown eyes, which were actually more like a murky brown, gave him the most befuddled expression. "Harm? You look...different."

She also shook her head, feeling incredibly groggy. She tried to think of what time it was, but nothing came to mind. She tried again, but still nothing. Her ability to tell time at the drop of a dime was gone! Not panicking yet, she looked at her watch, but that too appeared to be broken. Or maybe the battery was just dead. She studied her hand and squinted her eyes. Was she having trouble seeing? Her hand looked almost transparent.

"Dead...," was all he could finally mutter as it became painfully obvious what he was seeing. His words were barely audible.

"What?" Mac coughed at the sound of those words. She jumped up from the bed quickly, however, in the end she felt as if she merely drifted off. Once she was able to, she looked down at herself still lying on the bed and nearly screamed. The same shock that overtook Harm only moments before rumbled through her, shaking her to her core. She stumbled backwards and then realized she couldn't feel the ground beneath her feet. She stopped moving all together and turned away from the bed, refusing to believe it. "This isn't...possible..."

"Maybe...this is one of those....out of body experiences," Harm spout off, trying to make sense of it all. He couldn't be dead. She couldn't be...dead. This was just a bad dream!

"What the hell are you saying?!?" she almost yelled at him and retreated to a corner trying to hide from the horrible sight. She was flipping out and he had never seen her this way before. She was always in control. Always so stoic and refined. Of course, seeing herself lying motionless on the bed would surely cause her to freak. Anyone in this situation would lose it.

Instead, this time, Harm took the initiative to try and rationalize the situation even though he wanted to scream right along with her. He continued to talk just to hear something other then the deafening silence, "An out of body experience. When a person's consciousness seems to depart from a person's...body enabling the observation of the world from...from...another..."

His words slowed but he kept talking. It was becoming more and more obvious that this was no out of body experience. The blood on the both of them and the awkward positions their bodies were in was enough to quell any other explanation. They were dead. Plain and simple. He finally finished his sentence painfully, "From another point of view."

He felt the need to cry, but the tears wouldn't form, or maybe he just couldn't feel them. He couldn't feel anything. He looked across the room at her, curled up in a ball. Her form still seemed misty, but now she seemed more whole. Just like in the movies, she had taken on the form of an apparition. A ghost. He turned his head and saw a mirror. He was looking into it trying to see his reflection, but couldn't see himself. "Mac?"

"What?"

"What do I look like?"

He returned his attention back to her as she finally lifted her head up and stared straight back at him. Those eyes of hers were now much sadder than he could ever imagine. It was as if the destruction that was formerly known as Clayton Webb and the rest of the world didn't matter anymore. Why would it? She was dead. She swallowed hard before answering, "You look like...a ghost. I can barely see you."

He went to move and discovered it was more like floating then walking. He reached the bed and tried to touch his dead body but his hands went right through. He released another soft wail of terror as he somehow forced himself away from the bed. He drifted down to the floor and came to a stop on the old carpeted surface. He could hear her sniffling in the corner, trying to suppress the whimpers but doing a bad job. It was indeed quite a tragic revelation, but unlike his partner, Harm couldn't bring himself to cry anymore.

Emotions were already becoming a formality. What good would it do to cry? No one could hear him except for Mac and for the sake of both of them, he had to be strong. One of them had to be strong. He stared at the bed again, taking in all the details. His red shirt and khaki pants. Her dark jacket, yellow blouse and striped pants. That long hair of hers was pulled back into a messy ponytail and he smiled. He never told her before, but he liked her hair that way. His memory was slowly coming back now. His lips quivered slightly as he called over to her, "Do you remember what happened? Do you remember how we...."

He might have heard her say yes, but he wasn't sure. He closed his eyes hoping he would wake up from this nightmare but it only made the memory clearer....

_One hour earlier..._

"Kill me, you kill her," Simon Tanveer threatened while Harm held his ground. Harm gripped his firearm tighter, not willing to let go. Mac tried to remain neutral. She didn't make eye contact with either man. Simon and Harm exchanged glances, challenging the other to make a move with their eyes.

"Put your weapon down and she lives," Simon insisted, his voice now even slimier then Harm could remember. "He's the only one I want."

"And after that?" Harm asked, still maintaining his position.

"You're not on my employers wish list," he smiled slightly, then looked at Mac again. "Nor is she."

It was then, Clayton Webb did something utterly stupid. He spoke. He looked at Harm and muttered, "Next time, you be the decoy."

As he was saying that, he stood up and Simon ordered for him to stay down. Mac then ordered, "Shoot him, Harm."

"No, Harm," Clayton argued. "He wants me."

Harm's eyes started to dance, trying to communicate with Mac. Clay was being irrational. He was moving too much and pissing Simon off. She caught his alarming eye movements but it was too late. Clayton tried to get up again and reason with Simon. It was then the former MI-6 agent made good on his threat. He shot the gun in Mac's direction. Everything from that point on was a blur of chaos and confusion. A blur of stupidity started by a brass CIA agent.

Clayton yelled a hellish "No! You son of a bitch!". Mac screamed out in pain as the bullet pierced her flesh. Harm charged forward livid at just what happened to her and fired at Simon who fired back in return. Suddenly, Harm felt a sharp pain and hit the floor. His gun sprawled across the floor away from him and he sputtered, realizing he had been hit also. He looked ahead of him and saw Mac writhing in pain and Simon smacking Clay across the face.

"You stupid bastard!" Simon bellowed at him. "Why did you make me do that? Do you know what will happen to me?"

Clayton fell to the floor after the last blow delivered by Simon. Harm couldn't tell if he was dead or alive. Simon cursed some more and grabbed his side, trying to stop the blood. He had been hit too. It relieved Harm he didn't completely miss his target. Simon limped over and leaned down next to him, "If it was one mistake you made in your entire life, friend, it was making acquaintance with Clayton Webb."

"It's...over," Harm mumbled, suddenly losing a sense of reality. What was happening to him? Why did he feel so dazed? He watched Simon lift Mac off the floor and carry her out of the room. "Simon! Don't touch her!"

Harm tried to follow, but the pain was too much. It was moments later, Simon came back and lifted Harm up off the ground as best he could. The force of being pulled was making Harm ache all over. For whatever reason, Simon dragged him up the stairs and into a plain white room with a queen sized bed. Mac was already laying there, motionless. Harm was tossed on the bed and he heard Simon release a tired sigh from the flight up the stairs.

Simon left the room and Harm felt very tired all of a sudden. As much as he wanted to follow, he couldn't move. His hand touched the bullet wound for the first time and then his eyelids shut from the pain.

* * *

"He killed us...we're dead," she mumbled, still sitting in the corner, trying to erase the memory. She was now sitting, her arms hugging her knees up against her chest. They didn't know what to do but stare at their former motionless selves. Their clothes were rumpled and they looked so uncomfortable. "Harm?"

"Yeah?"

"If we're...dead...then why," she began, but another tragic whimper interrupted her. "Then why are we still....here?"

Harm looked at the floor, feeling very depressed and defeated. "I don't know."

They were surprised to see the door to the bedroom swing open loudly and enter their murderer, Simon Tanveer. He rushed in and started to pace in front of the bed, as if trying to decide what to do now.

The shock of their situation had worn off now, but now Harm was slowly boiling inside. Denial started to set in and his rage took him over. He was sitting on the floor staring at his killer and he wanted nothing more then to return the favor. He quickly stood up and rushed forward, trying to tackle Simon, but his efforts were fruitless. His metaphysical self flew though Simon's body and he rolled onto the floor next to Mac. Harm went to try again. To try and exact his revenge, but he felt someone grab him. Surprised to feel anything at all, he turned around and saw Mac grasping his arm.

He couldn't feel or tackle Simon, but he could feel the pressure of Mac's hands around his arm. For a moment, her touch calmed him and made him feel better. But only for a moment.

"Harm, stop trying...," she said, as if already accepting what had happened. If was as if she was giving up, but he wasn't ready for that. He wasn't ready to give up. He returned his attention to Simon, who had wrapped up Mac's body in a blanket and was carrying her out. On his second trip, he grabbed Harm's body and carried him out as well.

"Mac, I can't just sit here and watch this!" Harm finally yelled at her and ripped his arm from her hands.

"You think I want to watch this!?" she shouted at him as he ran out after Simon and followed him. On the way out, Simon let the door shut and Harm wasn't paying attention. The door slammed shut in his face, but he walked on as if he were passing through air. His ability to go through walls frightened him at first as he found himself out on the porch facing the garden. He could see the gate they had entered upon arriving and the fence surrounded the entire place. He searched the area for Simon, remembering why he was out here.

He heard the clang of a shovel against rock and dirt. Harm drifted as quickly as he could to the sound and saw Simon digging a huge trench. It was apparent he had started digging some time ago for the hole was almost four feet deep. The anger raged inside of Harm again and he yelled through his rain of tears, "Simon! Simon!"

Just like he expected, Simon didn't hear him at all. It was so hard to accept that he didn't exist anymore.

"Harm!" Mac called from the upstairs window. He turned around to look up at her. "Come back inside, please!"

"Not now, Mac! I have to stop him!" Harm cried, still in denial. He wasn't dead. All he had to do was wake himself up!

"Harm, I don't want to be in here alone!" she called, her voice slowly fading as she disappeared from the window. She was most likely going back to the corner to curl up into a ball. He started to feel guilty for leaving her behind. She was just as scared as he was, maybe even more. He looked over his shoulder at Simon who was finishing off their grave. It was as if Simon was trying to erase their existence by making their bodies impossible to find.

Mac found her way down the steps, trying to get used to her new way of walking. It was hard to get used to. The floating and drifting. Feeling like a bed sheet hanging out on the line to dry. She reached the kitchen, realizing Harm wasn't coming back inside until he felt he accomplished whatever the hell he thought he was going to accomplish. Yes, it shocked her, but the fact was they were....dead. She thought he had accepted that, but it was obvious he hadn't. She looked down and still on the kitchen floor was Clay. He had a cut on his head from the last time Simon hit him.

She knelt down and asked, "Clay? Were you the man in the park? Did you fire at me? Clay?"

He then moved and it caused her to jump. Did he hear her? Was he responding?

"Clay!" she called.

However, he just stood up and stumbled, trying to regain his balance. He never heard her. He stumbled so far, he ran into her. Well, not exactly. He went through her, not noticing a thing. But for her, it was an entirely different experience. If she could still feel pain, she would imagine Clay flying through her body like that would hurt. Instead of hurting, it just felt weird. Like she had been stretched and disoriented for only a moment. She turned around and followed the faltering Webb outside. Once they were both on the porch, they heard three gun shots and Simon sputtered, "You bitch!"

Mac could see Harm standing out there, looking down at the body of Simon. Mrs. Webb was there holding her little pistol. She had taken Mac's advice to heart and came to help her boy. Only she was too late to help them.

"Two would've been enough, mother," Clay said, sounding annoyed with her presence altogether.

"I wanted to make sure," she scowled at him as she stepped forward then tripped. She looked down and her face went ghostly white. "Oh, Clay...."

Clay ran over to his mother's side and saw Mac's hand partially covered with dirt. He immediately kneeled down and clawed at the dirt, trying to free her. Once both of them were uncovered, he tried checking for pulses. He panicked when he realized he wasn't getting any response. He began to let tears flow down his cheeks as he realized what had happened.

"Oh no, Sarah," he whimpered and completely pulled them out of the grave Simon dug for them. He shook Harm out of exasperation and called, "Harm? Stop playing with me! Wake up, damn it!"

All the while Clay was doing this, the ghosts of Harm and Mac watched on in surreal shock. Harm could feel Mac pressed up against him, her arm hugging his waist. His arm went around her shoulders, squeezing her as tightly as he could. They watched Clay's tears fall on their bodies and in the distance heard the sound of the ocean's waves crushing against the sand in the distance. Such an ugly scene at such a beautiful place.

The gate swung open and Harrison Kershaw walked in and stopped in horror at the sight that lay before him. "Oh my..." He ran over to Clay and pulled him away from his friends, trying to tell him to get a hold of himself. All the while Clay mumbled, "I killed them..."

Kershaw misunderstood Clay's utterance as the truth and ordered for Clay to get in the car. Mrs. Webb was told to do the same. Before too long, the paramedics were there cleaning up the mess. Harm watched as Mac's body was being carried away. He wanted to follow but upon reaching the gate, he was stopped by some unknown force. He tried to continue forward, but he was stuck. Something was keeping him from leaving. Mac also tried and discovered the same thing. The only way out of Manderlee was being blocked.

"Harm?" Mac choked as she helplessly watched the cars drive away. "Harm, we can't leave!"

"I know," he mumbled. The cars turned the corner and disappeared forever.

After the cars left, they found they could make it as far as the beach. They rested their weary spirits on the sand watching the ocean. The sun was setting on a most depressing day. They both imagined the shocked looks on their colleagues faces. How Admiral Chegwidden would look once he heard the news. Surely, his newfound retirement would be ruined.

"I guess, it's over with Clay," she mildly joked. Deep down she wished she had been given the opportunity to free herself of Webb. To tell him what she should've told him months ago, long before his "death".

Harm tried to smile and replied, "Is that what you want?"

"I don't have a clue of what I want, I just know what I don't want," she sighed heavily, looking down at her ghostly figure. She could see the sand through her toes and it frightened her. "I'm sick of dissecting relationships. I don't want to be...this."

"We're in the same boat here. Talk to me," Harm offered, looking at her for the first time during the conversation.

"I appreciate the offer," she forced a smile.

"But...," he pushed.

"Look at us. I mean....there's so much more to talk about than just Webb," she responded, using Clay as her excuse to stay silent.

"Well, Mac, when you're ready let me know," he said somewhat indifferently as he stood up to walk away. "We've got all the time in the world now..."

She watched his retreating form roam down the sandy beach back towards their new home. A house owned by the Webb family. A place where they were murdered and forced to haunt the halls of for...all eternity? She stared sadly down at the sand. Harm was right. They had all the time in the world now...

_**Ten years later...**_

_**September 23, 2014**_

She opened her eyes and sat up straight in the chair. For a moment, she thought it was a dream, but once she looked around the house her hopes were crushed again. She was still here staring at the white, sheet covered furniture and plain white walls. She used her arms to push herself up and found herself floating in the air. She flew down the hall and into the kitchen where Harm was concentrating on the tea cup. The one left by Clayton Webb all those years ago. After a few minutes passed and he didn't notice her, she coughed. Harm looked up and joked, "Oh, I didn't hear you come in."

"Ha, Ha," she rolled her eyes at his lame joke. It was true. Several times over the years, they made a game of scaring each other because they truly couldn't hear each other. There was no tip toeing or sneaking. They just floated in the air and burst through the walls, each time trying to out scare the other. They admitted it was childish at first but it was the only way to pass the time. They didn't eat anymore, they pretended to sleep. To be blunt, being a ghost was absolutely boring.

He noticed her tormented and woeful expression; a look he had grown accustomed to seeing over the past ten years. He let his smile fade and asked, "Hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah," she forced a smile. "I was just thinking...about it again."

"The day we died?" he asked and she nodded. He shrugged and looked at the tea cup again, "Well, it will be..."

"Ten years at exactly 3:47 tomorrow afternoon," she answered for him.

Harm looked up surprised and asked, "You can tell time again?"

"No, I just know 3:47 was the last time I could remember before dying," she shrugged and stared at the tea cup. "Have you been able to move it yet?"

"No, but I think I'm getting closer," he grinned, having the time of his life. She laughed at him, still unable to figure out how he could remain so chipper after ten years of nothing. After ten years of existing, but not existing at the same time. She watched on, seeing the same creases in his forehead when he was thinking really hard. The same determined look in his eye. If it was one thing they didn't lose it was their youth. They were able to eternally hold on to their appearance without letting wrinkles or other aging processes ruin them. Harm had joked one time that they finally found the fountain of youth.

He closed his eyes concentrating. He was trying to move the cup without touching it. Using his 'paranormal capabilities', whatever the hell those were. Instead, she used her finger to push the tea cup for him.

"Look Harm! You moved it without touching it!" she exclaimed and laughed uncontrollably. He opened his eyes and saw it had changed position, but knew she moved it.

"After ten years, you decide to move that damn tea cup now?" Harm scolded her and flew at her. His wispy arms wrapped around her and they spun out of control. They fluttered across the room until they landed nicely on the couch, wrapped up in each other and laughing until they cried. The wind suddenly picked up outside, quieting their ruckus instantly. Harm looked up and out one of the bay windows. A dark figure roamed past the window and he mumbled, "He's back."

"He comes back every year," Mac whispered. "He's always trying to get inside..."

"I'm glad he can't," Harm said as he gently let go of Mac and cautiously floated over to the window. It was the ghost of Simon Tanveer. For whatever reason, the day Simon died, his ghost didn't surface as quickly as they did. Than three days later, while Mac was out at the beach she saw him coming at her. Mac fled as if her life were endanger which was ironic considering she was already dead. She made it inside and went to hide, but noticed Simon couldn't pass through the walls like she could. He couldn't get inside.

So for the last ten years, he had been showing up for three days circling the house. Always looking for a way in. Just like Harm and Mac could never walk through that gate and leave Manderlee, Simon could never get back in the house. For three days out of every year, Harm and Mac prepared themselves to stay inside and ignore the dreadfully dark figure that was once Simon Tanveer.

"Do you think he'll ever give up?" she asked meekly.

Harm shrugged, set his feet on the floor and took the time to walk back to the couch instead of float. She watched his movements carefully knowing he only took the time to walk when he was worried. "Harm?"

"Huh?" he looked at her, coming out of his foggy daze. "Sorry, Mac. It's just..."

"What Harm?" she asked and got up to stand next to him.

"It seems every year, his movements are closer to the house," Harm said with worry. "Like he's one step away from entering this house and finishing what he started."

Mac didn't respond and simply hooked her arm in his. Simon's dark figure roamed past the window again and for the first time, she noticed what Harm had seen. The ghost of Simon did seem closer than he had in years past...

To be continued...

So, should I keep going? Are you interested?


	2. The Past Ten Years

Disclaimer: JAG is the property of Donald P. Bellisario, Paramount Pictures, CBS Television and Belisarius Productions. I hope I spelled all of that stuff right.

"Unfinished Business"

by e-dog

**Chapter Two: The Past Ten Years**

_**Manderlee**_

_**September 23, 2014**_

Night had fallen on the house known as Manderlee. The shades creaked and the floors squeaked. The paint on the walls was finally chipping away and there was so much dust, someone with allergies would probably have severe outbreaks. Of course, none of that mattered to Harm or Mac. They didn't breathe in air nor did they care for the crappy decor. They figured, since they were ghosts it only seemed fitting they live in a house that looked cold and appalling. And at night, it was definitely chilling.

It was funny, at least to them, how they ended up being ghosts. Trapped for all eternity together in a house after such a rough and trying year. A year where they mostly argued and pretended as if they hadn't been friends for over eight years. Besides officially reconciling their broken friendship, there were some things they wished they could've done before being murdered. For one, Mac never had her day with Clayton Webb. She never officially slapped him for being such an asshole, nor did she have the talk they desperately needed to have. She never had closure. As for Harm, he never fulfilled his promise to Mattie. His adoptive daughter, who was a handful at first but in time became such an important part of his life. He told her he would never abandon her. In such a short time, that promise was shattered.

At some point, they both discussed these issues, conveniently skipping over the real talk they needed to have. They discussed how they weren't given the chance to fix things. So they came up with a theory. They gave it the appropriate name of "Unfinished Business". Mac never set things right with Clay and Harm didn't fulfill his promise to Mattie. Since these things were never accomplished (and their weary souls would never be at ease until they were), they determined that they would be ghosts forever.

As for Simon....he was a totally different issue. Maybe because he killed them, his punishment was to be stuck on the same premises as them for the rest of time. To be forced to watch from a distance, always being reminded of the awful person he was. Another possibility, (which went back to the unfinished business theory), could have been his encounter with Clay. His job had been to obtain information that Clay never disclosed to him. He and Clay still needed to talk and it was quite obvious that would never happen.

It was nights like these that bugged Harm. Always thinking about the past and what should've been done.

It was finally Mac who broke the silence, "You want to light the candles?"

"Sure." Harm flew up to the ceiling and tapped one of the unlit candles in the chandelier. He glanced down and saw Mac had already struck a match which she handed up to him. He grinned and said, "If only we could float when we were alive. Do you know how much space a human being could have in their garage if they rid themselves of ladders?"

"I'm sure there would be lots of space," she agreed and watched as with each candle lit, the more illuminated the dining room became. She giggled and he looked down at her. "Remember the first time we tried to light candles?"

Harm's laugh rumbled through the house as the memory resurfaced in his memory. "Yes, I do, the whole house almost came burning down!"

_**October 22, 2004**_

It had been a month since their deaths and the sun was starting to set earlier and earlier. Even after five weeks, it was hard to come to terms with their situation and when night fell the place became even more terrifying. Even still, they knew they had to make the best of it. Mac had become very withdrawn and mostly hid in corners or stared out the window. She didn't want to talk about Webb, about their relationship, about being a ghost. She didn't want to talk about anything. This behavior resulted in more fighting, similar to the arguments they had at JAG. Harm, was just having a hard time reaching her. So whenever he felt they would yell again, he went for walks on the beach trying to remember what it was like to feel the sand between his toes. After floating around on the beach became boring, he found another project to work on.

For about a week, Harm practiced trying to lift physical objects, despite the fact his hand kept going right through them. It was frustrating, but he was determined to move something. He had seen the movie _Ghost_ with Patrick Swayze. Surely, the producers and the writers did some actual research about ghost stories and hauntings. Ghosts could lift physical objects, right?

Of course, Mac argued that it was just a very clever movie effect and that there was no way he could actually do it. Naturally, Harm wouldn't hear it. Neither one of them even believed in ghosts until they became one, so it was worth a try. Plus, he was sick of floating and doing nothing all day and all night. He was sick of fighting with Mac. He wanted to pick up things, maybe find something as a suitable replacement to a football. He wanted to be able to turn the pages in some of the old books in the study so he could read them. Give himself something to do.

Finally, after many nights of trying he was successful in picking up a match. One single match that he wanted to use to give them light and eliminate the darkness.

"You just dropped it again," Mac pointed out to which Harm gave an annoyed sigh.

"I know, Mac, I'm trying...unlike you," he replied, sounding very irritated with her constant pessimistic attitude. He picked up the match again and this time held it longer then 30 seconds before it slipped through his nearly transparent fingers again. It hit the floor with a soft tapping sound and Harm stared at it thoughtfully. He looked up at her and smiled like he was flying an F-14 for the first time. "All I need to do is strike it, fly up to the chandelier and light the candles."

"In less than a minute?" Mac said quietly, but she was highly doubtful. "What if you drop it? What if something catches on fire?"

"Mac, I can't go another night without light," he insisted, a twang of fear in his voice. "I never used to hate the dark until now. I have to try." Without giving it a second thought, Harm picked up the match, struck it and flew up as quickly as he could without letting the tip blow out.

Once up there, he lit one candle and just like Mac predicted he would, he dropped it. Mac instinctively shot her hand out to catch it, even though she had never practiced trying to lift physical objects before. The little fire went through her hand and hit the floor and the old fibers in the carpet immediately took to flame. She began to panic, "I knew this would happen, Harm!"

Harm didn't say anything, feeling incredibly stupid for trying to light candles so soon without enough practice. He flew back down and tried picking up a blanket to smother it out. However, he had never lifted anything heavier than the match so this was becoming quite a challenge. "Mac, help me!"

Without hesitation, she tried to concentrate and help him lift the blanket. The small fire was becoming larger and while Harm was picking up and dropping his end, Mac couldn't grab hold at all. Finally, Harm yelled in frustration and he forced the blanket off the couch and onto the flame. Mac let her jaw drop slightly at this amazing feat. The sudden force of the blanket put the fire out immediately.

Harm stared at the blanket on the floor shocked he was able to move it, then he spotted the lone candle he was able to light. He smiled, "It won't be dark tonight."

To his surprise, he heard Mac suppress a laugh on the floor and he looked down at her, "What?"

"Nothing...," she said, trying to forget it.

"Are you laughing at me?" he asked, starting to get a little upset.

She shook her head no and for the first time a wide smile spread across her face, "It just occurred to me, we're dead! Even if this place burned down, we would be okay!"

Harm smiled with her also seeing the humor in what had just happened. He mostly smiled because she was smiling. He laughed with her and sat on the floor next to her and started to tease her, "You should've seen your face! You looked so scared when that match hit the floor!"

"It wasn't just me!" she jeered at him. "You were all, "Mac help me!". You were just as scared as I was."

"Yes. Yes, I was," Harm admitted and they leaned on each other, finally calming down after that adventure. The little candle on the chandelier flickered above them providing just enough light to put them at ease. Mac then leaned into Harm more, trying to see if she would ever feel safe again. To see if she could ever feel good about herself again. For some reason, she did and it finally hit her.

"Harm. We're dead."

"We have been for a month."

"I know, it's just, I think I'm finally coming to terms with it."

"Me too, Mac. Me too."

_**September 23, 2014**_

"That was some night," Harm reminisced, while they sat on the couch, watching the candles flicker around them. "Just think how easy it is now to lift any object." He than looked at her and said more seriously, "That night, you finally gave in to our situation. You finally understood."

"Yeah," she smiled weakly and folded her arms across her chest. "Sometimes I wish it didn't take me so long to get it. Maybe that first month would've been easier for us."

"Mac...," Harm tried to console and moved closer to her.

"No, Harm," Mac stopped him. "It's taken ten years to admit this, but I didn't make it easy for you or myself. I was scared and weak..."

"And whiny," Harm grinned and was relieved when she laughed with him. He wrapped his arm around her and said, "Mac, I understood. I wasn't exactly trying to comfort you either. I wanted to do everything myself. I wanted to make things better and I finally realized after nearly burning the place down that I would need your help to make it through."

She gave him a thoughtful stare but didn't speak again. It was times like these she wished Harm had been this way when they were alive. Some would argue he had always been a gentleman and she was just too blind or too stubborn to see it. Whether they were right or wrong, there was a change in Harm that was now very noticeable and very much appreciated. Harm made a grunting noise and she looked at him worried, "What's wrong?"

"I want to cook you something," he told her, his dull green eyes suddenly looking very bright.

"Cook? Harm, don't even mention food," Mac scolded him. "I used to love to eat and now that we can't, I don't need to be reminded of something I can't have."

"Who said we can't have it?" Harm asked and stood up, heading for the kitchen. "Sure, we can't digest it but it's just taking the action of eating that I miss the most."

"Aw, Harm. What's the point in eating if you can't taste it?" Mac whined and followed him. Once she was in the kitchen she saw Harm rummaging through the cabinets looking at the same tired food that had been in there ten years before. It was old, dusty and probably not worth cooking. She made a disgusted face and said, "Harm, don't even..."

"Remember hamburger, Mac?" he asked, opening more drawers and even the refrigerator. "That nasty, red meat that you love oh so much?"

"Oh, yes....," Mac closed her eyes, already regretting this nostalgic feeling growing inside her. "I could even go for your Meatless Meatloaf right now."

Harm looked over his shoulder and gave a proud smile, "I always knew you liked it! I always knew it was better than toxic waste!"

"No one said I liked it, Harm," she corrected, opening her eyes and shaking her head. "Okay, let's stop this. No more talk about food."

He whimpered a little and shut the doors. He turned to look at her, now quite sad that his quest to cook was at a standstill. He went to say something then saw _him_ again. The enigmatic shadow of Simon went by the kitchen window and over the back porch. Harm and Mac watched him as he hovered, paused for a moment to look inside. Instinctively, Mac moved closer to Harm, keeping a close eye on Simon.

"Let me in," he spoke for the first time in years. His British accent still intact, but it had lost it's appeal. It sounded so passionless. "I'm cold, Sarah. Let me in."

"You're not welcome here, Tanveer," Harm told him with anger seeping into his voice. "Leave."

Simon just gave his trademark grin and vanished on the spot. Mac wanted to feel her heart racing in fear or feel the force of her short breathing, but that didn't come. She could understand her fear of Simon, just couldn't let it translate physically. Harm hugged her tightly, wanting to feel warm. Wanting to feel real comfort. He wanted Simon to go away forever.

She finally spoke up, "He actually said something this time."

"He's a haunted soul, Mac," Harm told her as he pulled the curtains closed on the patio door. "When he does speak, he knows there isn't much to say."

"Why is that?" she asked, feeling she knew the answer already.

"Because no matter what he says, nothing will change," Harm finished and floated up next to her again. "All he's good for now is bugging us."

With that said, Harm left her in the kitchen and he went up the stairs. It was getting late and he wanted to rest. However, that was the one thing he hated most about being a ghost. He was endlessly tired and there was no way to sleep it off. He quickly walked past the bedroom where they were laid to die. They hadn't been back in there since then and neither one of them had any intention of going back in that room. Instead, he went into another room which was fully decorated with fine furniture and a huge king size bed.

He levitated over the bed for a moment then slowly came down on what he assumed were soft pillows and sheets. He closed his eyes knowing sleep wouldn't come, but it was always worth the try. He closed his eyes then heard his name called. For a moment, it sounded like a voice from long ago. His eyes flew open and he called out, "Mattie?"

"No, it's me," Mac chuckled a little, but it was a confused laugh as well. "Who else would it be?"

"Sorry," Harm muttered to himself and made room for her on the bed as well. She laid down next to him and he asked, "What do you want to do for tomorrow?"

"I dunno," she sighed and turned so her back was to him. "I don't want to talk about tomorrow..."

"Understood." He stared at her back wishing she would turn around and talk to him. He had always imagined celebrating a 10th anniversary with Mac....he just never expected it to be of their deaths.

_**The next morning**_

_**September 24, 2014**_

That morning was sunny and a strong breeze came through a broken window in the back room. It was a beautiful day. Harm wanted to breathe in the salty sea air, but knew better than to try and disappoint himself. He peeked out the window and saw no sign of Tanveer which relieved him. On the anniversary of their death, the last thing he wanted to worry about was Simon.

"So Mac, want to venture out to the beach?" he asked her as he found her sitting on the couch.

"I don't know, Harm. What if Simon decides to show up?" she asked with obvious worry.

"I don't care anymore. I'm sick of avoiding him," Harm shrugged, his cockiness and flyboy style radiating from him. She couldn't help but laugh and decided why not? If things got rough, they could always run back to the house. Simon couldn't come after them inside.

It was mere seconds and they were out on the beach, romping through the sand. To a bystander, it would look like the sand was kicking up by itself. A small, localized sandstorm mimicking the movements of two people dancing. Mac finally stopped and pulled away from Harm, "Okay, why are we celebrating?"

"It's our anniversary!" he shouted and gently grabbed her arm again. "C'mon, Mac. We've been depressed for ten years. Let's change that."

"Harm," Mac sighed and looked out at the endless ocean. "You act like we've been married for the last ten years..."

"Haven't we?" he asked, getting face to face with her again. Forcing her to look at him. "I mean, we've haunted that house_ together_. We've lit candles and learned to pick up objects _together_. We've fought and played and we even share the same bedroom...."

"That's because neither one of us will set foot in the other bedroom," she smiled at him, looking amused by his logic. His ghostly hand cupped her cheek with care. She closed her eyes and leaned into it, feeling the pressure of his vaporous hand against her airy skin.

She opened her eyes and he said, "If we spend the rest of eternity together, let's make them the happiest years of our lives....well,..." He faltered, feeling embarrassed he couldn't let that come out smooth and suave.

She suppressed a laugh, knowing he was trying his best at being romantic, so she helped him, "How about the best years of our afterlives."

"That works," he smiled.

Mac's face took on a look of consideration and she gave him a soft smile, "I think I would like that."

She thought about what she was going to do, frankly, because she didn't know if it would be possible. Once she made her decision, she slowly walked up to him, leaned up and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. Once she pulled back, he smiled even more warmly at her. She continued to stare at him as he couldn't stop staring at her and asked, "What?"

"Why do I feel like I waited an eternity for that?" he questioned curiously, but also said jokingly.

"Because you have," she replied with a smile, then added thoughtfully. "We both have."

They stood their a moment, contemplating what had happened. It was hard to believe, but that was the first outright display of affection they had displayed since they died. It was also a strange feeling, kissing someone and not really experiencing it. Harm could feel the pressure of their lips pressing together, but it would never match the true essence of a real kiss. Well, it was better than nothing, of course.

The surf rolled up on the beach and washed over their feet. They looked down watching the water swirl around underneath them. For the first time since dying, they felt calm and refreshed. They were starting anew, sort of. Moving on and trying to make the rest of their timeless existence more bearable. Harm glanced over her shoulder and his eyes widened, "Mac...we should go..."

"Simon?" she asked, looking over her shoulder, but it was too late. Simon was on them quickly, flying over their heads, causing them to duck out of the way. "Let's go, Harm!"

"You pathetic fools," Simon sneered and blocked their paths. "Just let me in the house!"

"Never, Tanveer," Harm almost growled. Simon came at them again, trying to scare them. They both took to the air, heading for the house, but it seemed Simon had grown faster in the past few years and he was quickly on them again. He forced them back down to the sand, where he pinned Harm by shoulders.

"Don't you see? Forgive me for killing you and all will be as it should!" Simon yelled at them. "Aren't you sick of this pointless existence?"

Harm's anger got the best of him as he pushed Simon off with such a force, the dark being was catapulted into the sky. Mac watched as Simon disappeared for a second, but was quickly making a round trip back to them. Harm pulled Mac back towards the house. Simon landed and remained on the beach watching them with frustration on his face. "It's the only way! Forgive me!"

Harm stopped suddenly and turned around, "I will never forgive you for hurting Mac!" Harm then took to the air and flew towards the house and Mac hesitated in following. She watched Simon's expression. She had never noticed it before, but he appeared to be tormented. As if he were truly sorry for his actions, but there was nothing he could do to make them forgive him. She turned away from him and flew to the house after Harm. Even if she considered forgiving him, Simon could be acting and she didn't want to take the chance on trusting him again.

Before she could go through the back door, she heard movement at the gate. She turned around and saw the gate open! Those doors hadn't opened in nearly eight years! Not since the last visit by Mrs. Webb. She had periodically come out with a gardener and housekeeper, trying to keep the place neat. When she had stopped coming, they both assumed she had passed on and that Clay couldn't bear to come back.

Harm also heard the creaking sound of the gate. He rushed out and exclaimed, "Mac! We have company!"

Two young women slowly made their way inside and Harm recognized them instantly, "Jenn and Mattie..."

Mac smiled, "Why are they here? How did they know to come here?"

Harm smiled, "If I know Mattie, she never gave up. She must've pushed for answers...found her way here and brought Jenn along. Do you know what this means?"

"Harm, don't do this...," Mac warned him with a bleak expression. "You know they won't be able to see us."

"How do we know for sure?" Harm tried to convince her. "It's been ten years! Maybe people can see us now!"

"Harm, stop it," Mac grabbed his shoulders. "You just told me we were going to make this experience more enjoyable and now you want to attempt the impossible! We're stuck here...please, don't make this harder."

Harm wanted to try to convince her again, but while they had been arguing, the girls were already at the back door and heading inside.

To be continued....


	3. Trying to Reconnect

Disclaimer: JAG is the property of Donald P. Bellisario, Paramount Pictures, CBS Television and Belisarius Productions. I hope I spelled all of that stuff right.

"Unfinished Business"

by e-dog

**Chapter Three: Trying to Reconnect**

_**September 24, 2014**_

Jenn was looking inside the mansion with the door half way open and she whistled. Mattie Grace was next to her also taking in the beauty of the deteriorating house. They eagerly wanted to get inside. The ocean air was chilly, plus they wanted to explore.

"Mac, you let them get past!" Harm complained, slightly irritated.

She rolled her eyes and mumbled, "It's not like I can stop them!"

He floated past her and tried to catch up with Jenn and Mattie. A part of him was so excited to see them; to see someone from his previous life. Another part was terrified. If he could reconnect with them, would they run? Would he frighten them? Lastly, another small part of him feared he would never be able to reach them. That they would leave and both he and Mac would be alone again. He was determined not to let that happen. Before he could attempt at grabbing Jenn's shoulder, he heard the voice of another gentleman.

"Ensign Tiner! Please wait for me!" a stout man in a business suit ordered. "I really think you should've waited for your husband before checking out the house!"

Harm exchanged a confused look with Mac at the scene playing out before them. What was going on? Why was Jenn really here? Wait a minute....

"Did he just say _Ensign. Tiner_?!?" Harm glanced over at Mac, who seemed to be smiling at that revelation. Harm continued flabbergasted, "As in _Jason_ Tiner?"

"I think it's cute!" Mac mused as Harm still gave a look of surprise.

"What's wrong, Mr. Batt?" Jenn asked as she walked past the two ghosts, completely unaware of their presence. They in turn watched her every move. "Why are you so nervous?"

Mr. Batt let his shoulders slump and he tried to smile, "Please understand, Mrs. Tiner, I've been trying to sell this house for 7 years now and I'm eternally grateful that you want to buy it...."

"But...," Jenn smiled amused with her realtor, still wanting to peek inside.

"They say this place is haunted!" Batt exclaimed, as if Jenn was entirely naive. "Don't you know two people were murdered here?"

Before Jenn could reply, Mattie answered for her in a very sullen tone, "That's why we want the house."

Seeing nothing would change their minds, Batt finally gave up and led them inside. Harm watched them enter the house with his jaw hanging open. They wanted to buy the house? Mac was also very surprised as she took her place at Harm's side. They both stood there staring on in disbelief until a chilling, invisible force flew by them. They both whirled around to find Simon smiling as he said in his annoying accent, "It's actually three people. Three people were murdered here."

"You scared the hell out of me," Mac said, glaring at him.

"Well, I am a ghost, darling," he joked, his eyes giving off an evil glint.

"A ghost we never should have been afraid of," Harm muttered, trying to control himself. "Your bark is worse than your bite, Tanveer."

"Well, we'll see what Jenn and Mattie think of my bite, now won't we?" Simon threatened. "I'll leave them alone, if you forgive me."

"Never," Harm shook his head, knowing he looked like a stubborn mule, but there was no way he would ever forgive Simon. "Just leave all of us alone."

With that, Harm and Mac entered the house to rid themselves of their fellow apparition. Simon wanted to follow, but knew it would do no good. They would never forgive him and for that they would pay. He disappeared pondering his next appearance. It was time to end this nonsense of only showing up around their "anniversary". It was time to take matters into his own hands. Once Harm saw his "girls" were being spooked and haunted, he would instantly drop everything and forgive him. If not, Simon would be forced to float around for the rest of time and after ten years of this crap, he was ready to be put at ease.

Harm and Mac found the two young women checking out the kitchen and they momentarily forgot about Simon. Harm leaned against the kitchen table and mumbled to himself in awe, "Look at them...they have no idea what happened in this room."

Mattie was staring curiously at the tea cup Harm was trying to move the day before. "There's only one tea cup?"

"Well, here's the pot," Jenn inspected and then turned her nose away. "With tea...or _something_ rotting inside..."

"Well, you can just throw that away..." suggested Mr. Batt.

"No!" Mattie objected, to which everyone in the room (including ghosts) jumped in surprise. Mattie cleared her throat wishing she didn't blurt out her disapproval like that. "I mean, this stuff was here when Harm was....here. Let's find a way to save it."

Jenn just gave a small, promising smile letting her know they wouldn't throw anything away. The realtor gave them a curious stare, wondering who Harm was. For a moment, he suspected that his clients knew the poor souls who had been murdered here. He shook that thought from his mind and decided to lead them into the dining room, "Let's go this way..."

They all walked in and Mattie immediately stopped and pointed, "Jenn, look!"

"What?" Jenn asked, then spotted one candle sitting in the center of the long dining table. She stared at it bewildered and wondered aloud, "Was someone in here before us?"

"No, why?" Mr. Batt asked, then he too spotted the candle. He began to shake and suggested, "Let's move on to the upper level and finish this tour as quickly as possible!"

Harm cringed a little because he didn't realize one of the candles was never blown out. He had come down before sunrise and lit another candle so it wouldn't be dark. It took Jenn a little coaxing to get Mattie to follow them upstairs, but finally she did leave with them. Mac watched on still in disbelief. They wanted to buy the house and she had a good feeling that no matter what the asking price was, they were going to buy it. She hugged herself and glanced at Harm who had no emotions reading on his face. It was safe to say he didn't expect this either.

"You think they'll buy it?" Harm asked finally.

"Most definitely," Mac answered, not taking her eyes off the stairs. She wondered how long it would take for them to find the blood stained sheets in the "forbidden bedroom". At some point Mrs. Webb had changed the sheets, but for some reason she didn't throw the bloody sheets out. Instead, she folded them up and put them in the closet. Mac focused her attention on the floor and asked, "The real question is, why are they buying it?"

"Because they found out what happened to us," Harm said simply. "Maybe they believe if they live here, they'll feel like they still have a piece of us."

There was a shriek from one of the girls and Harm and Mac flinched again. They both said simultaneously, "They found the sheets."

_**One week later**_

_**October 1, 2014**_

Despite finding the bloody sheets and the mysterious lit candle, Jason and Jenn bought the house. After they had signed the papers, hired some contractors to fix up the place and then bought a ton of cleaning products, they were finally ready to move in. Jason did most of the heavy moving; rearranging the old furniture and bringing in what little furniture they had from their previous abode. From what Harm and Mac overheard from the three of them, they were newlyweds. The conversation went a little something like this:

"I didn't think we would be able to own a home so quicky," Jason smiled at Jenn, then gave her a quick peck on the cheek. She made eye contact with him and they had a small moment, both understanding why it was so easy to buy this particular house. Mattie coughed and broke their stares.

"Well, no one ever thought you two would walk down the aisle, let alone own a house," Mattie smiled mischievously.

"You are never going to stop teasing us, are you?" Jenn rolled her eyes as she unpacked some groceries.

"Everyone at JAG knew you were in love," Mattie said and opened a bag of chips. Jason took the bag and closed it. She whined, "Hey!"

"And you never stop eating!" Jason scolded playfully and handed the bag to Jenn to put away. "We are letting you live here because you wanted to...not to eat us out of house and home."

The three of them carried on while Harm watched from the kitchen table. He was sitting there, brushing his hand over the freshly stained wooden table. The color of the wood was now more vibrant and made it look brand new. He was sitting in one of four brand new chairs. The old kitchen chairs went out in the shed. Jenn claimed not to like the style. They were too "fancy". The new chairs looked very modern and Harm wondered how much had changed since he had died. Were cars sleeker? Did computers run faster? Even Mattie's clothes looked different. Not as revealing as most teenager's clothes had been in the past, but still he could see the change in her. Then it hit him. She was ten years older. The clothes merely reflected her growth and maturity. His face grew sad as he realized how much he had missed.

Jason had been promoted to Lieutenant and evidently was a terrific lawyer. Jennifer was now an Ensign and was allowed to remain stationed at JAG. Similar to how Bud and Harriet were allowed to continue to work together.

He was broken from his thoughts when Mattie plopped down in a chair across from him. She had stolen the bag of chips back and Jason and Jenn had left the room. She chomped loudly, obviously quite hungry. Harm smiled as he remembered her appetite and how his food bill had skyrocketed after adopting her. He mustered up some courage and whispered, "Mattie?"

No response. He tried again, louder this time. "Mattie? Please, talk to me."

After she didn't respond again, he looked down in defeat. What could he do to get her attention without spooking her? There was a loud ruckus in the family room and Mattie instantly jumped to her feet. Harm also got up and flew down the hall to see what was going on. Within seconds, Mac passed through a wall and was in the family room as well.

"Oh Jason!" Jenn laughed and landed on the couch trying to suppress her amusement. Several boxes of

their linen had come crashing down after being stacked on top of each other. He bumped them on accident and they all opened up and covered him in different shades of blue and white. The colors of their bed sheets.

Mattie laughed too and helped to find Jason under all the sheets. When he emerged with only his face showing from under a white sheet, Mattie pointed at him and said, "You look like a ghost! You should be that for Halloween!"

Jason turned red with embarrassment, then suddenly rose up and laughed evilly, "Mwahahaha! I'm going to haunt you for the rest of your life!"

"Jason!" Mattie giggled as he tickled her. "Stop it, I'm not a little kid!"

"Are you sure?" Jenn asked, jokingly. "Sometimes I wonder if you're still 16 and getting into trouble."

Harm and Mac watched, pleased to see that some things never changed. While it appeared Jenn was more responsible and not as nosy as she had been in the past, Jason Tiner was still clumsy , awkward and had managed to retain his sense of humor. Mac glanced up at her partner and asked, "You okay, Harm?"

"Yeah, it's just, I wish I could join them," he forced a smile. "If only I could get their attention..."

"Hey, we talked about this," Mac reminded him. "No scaring. If we scare them..."

"They could leave and never come back," Harm finished and folded his arms in disappointment. Without another word, he left the room. She watched until he disappeared into another room and then shut her eyes in frustration. He was being so impatient, but deep down, she felt there had to be a better way to get their attention than by spooking them.

She returned her attention to the people now occupying their home. It had been weird having people in the house after having it to themselves for so long. They quickly learned they couldn't just roam anywhere anymore. Harm was passing through walls from room to room one night and accidently...walked in on the happy couple. For the last week, Mac couldn't stop teasing him. Harm just ignored her and complained that Jason and Jenn stole their master bedroom and he really went in there to scare them out.

As the laughter progressed and the jokes continued, she slowly let a sad smile cross her face wishing she was joining in on the fun too. Mattie was heading out and she brushed by Mac's arm without even noticing. Or did she? Mattie paused and slowly looked over her shoulder looking directly in Mac's direction. Mac perked up and stared back. The young girl in front of her looked very confused and then she brushed her arm as if trying to warm it up. Jenn walked up and asked, "You okay?"

"Yeah, just got a chill up my arm," Mattie mumbled and walked away. Mac felt a flicker of hope wave through her, but ignored it. Maybe it was a coincidence. No, it_ was_ a coincidence. Mattie must've felt a chill at the exact same moment she brushed by her arm. That had to be the reason.

_**Manderlee**_

_**October 3, 2014**_

Harm leaned on Jason's car and shook his head. "Jason, you are just going to break it..."

The young man was under the hood of the car intending to change the oil but he got curious and was messing with different parts and pieces. Harm waved his hand in front of Jason's face but it was of no use. There was a loud clang and he heard the former Petty Officer groan. "Oops..."

"Told ya," Harm sighed and closed his eyes in disgust. "But you never hear me." He stood next to the panicking Jason and tried to shake him, but his hands just couldn't grasp the living lifeform in front of him. He continued to complain, "You can't feel me! You can't hear me! You can't see me!"

Jason started to mumble to himself, wondering how he was going to tell Jenn he broke something in the car. Harm shook his head and sighed, "You're never going to hear me..."

"It's quite depressing, isn't it? Knowing they will never, ever hear you?"

Harm cringed and turned around. It was Simon, much to his surprise and chagrin, leaning against the house. In the past, Simon only showed up around the day they died. This was the first time he had shown up at any other time. It made Harm wonder what he was up to now. "Aren't you a little early for Halloween, Tanveer?"

"No, I think I'm right on time," Simon smiled, keeping his distance. "It's never too early to give someone a _fright_."

Harm watched Simon disappear and he began to panic. He was going after Tiner to scare him. And if he could, possibly hurt him. Harm quickly turned around and apologized ahead of time, "Sorry, Tiner...."

Harm hopped in the car, turned the keys and started the car. Jason jumped back and his eyes widened in fear. He stuttered incoherent words and looked at the front seat. No one was there, but the car was still running. He then ran off in search of his wife and yelled, "Honey! Honey!!"

Harm watched until Jason was safely inside and turned the car off. He hopped out and saw Simon show up with a look of disappointment, "Now, now, Harmon. You always suck the fun out of everything, don't you? But you finally accomplished what you wanted."

"What's that?" Harm asked.

"You communicated with them," Simon told him and put his hands in his pockets. "You started the car and scared the pants off of your friend Jason. Now, start using that head of yours and find a more creative, less frightening way to keep in touch."

"You're helping me?" Harm asked, confused. "What game are you playing?"

"This is no game, Harm," Simon said seriously. "I want you to see I'm not your enemy. Not anymore. If you forgive me, all of us will finally be at peace."

Harm remained silent and studied Simon. Despite the words he was hearing, Simon was still a dark, ominous ghost. His eyes were black and menacing and highly untrustworthy. No matter what he said, it was just too hard to believe him. "How do you know this? If I forgive you, how do I know I will finally be at peace?"

"Think about it, Harm! I killed you and you have resented me ever since! I have felt nothing but guilt for what I have done! Forgiving me will put all of this behind us," Simon said, trying to sound convincing. The funny thing was, he sounded so sure of himself, it sounded like the truth. Harm could hear Jason coming back, most likely pulling Jenn along. Mac was next to him suddenly, wondering what he did. When he looked back up, Simon was gone. Harm groaned and said, "Not now, Mac. Just give me a minute..."

He went under the hood and studied what Jason broke. It turned out he didn't break much of anything; he just unplugged a hose. Harm reattached it and stepped aside, just as Jason came back to find the car wasn't running anymore. Jenn already looked upset that he interrupted whatever she was doing. Now that the car was off, she was even more upset with him. "Jason, you're starting to sound just like that crazy realtor! There are no such things as ghosts!"

"But....the car...it just started....even after I broke this hose!" Jason pointed and they both looked inside. Jenn frowned when she found the hose was still intact. She glared at her husband and instead of yelling at him, she did something much worse. She gave him the silent treatment. As she walked off, Jason followed, "Jennifer! C'mon honey, you have to believe me!"

Mac stared at Harm who wanted to hide, but knew he had nowhere to go. They were confined to the house, so she would find him eventually. She put her hands on her hips and asked, "You scared him?"

"Not on purpose...I thought," Harm mumbled.

"You thought what, Harm? That if you started the car, Jason would automatically go, 'Oh hey Harm! I didn't see you there!'" Mac almost yelled.

"Aw, c'mon Sarah!" Harm finally exploded back, making her back up in surprise. "I've waited ten years for someone to come back and look into our deaths! I've waited ten years to find out if I could tell someone I'm still here! Maybe I'm not here physically, but I could at least tell them that I can still see and I can still hear! I want to shout out and say I still love you and I've missed you..."

Harm stopped there, his face looking so flustered and disturbed. He slowly lifted from the ground and began to drift away from her. Mac went to follow and said, "Harm...wait...I didn't mean to..."

"No, just...just let me be alone for a while," Harm requested as politely as he could. He knew she meant well, but he needed a minute to himself. He went off towards the beach and all Mac could do was watch. She wanted to kick herself for yelling at him. She was trying to think of other ways besides scaring them to let them know they were there, but Harm... He was doing anything he could to talk to them. She looked up when she saw Jason was guiding a man in a blue uniform through the gate. He was dragging a huge box along on a cart.

"Mattie, your new computer just arrived!" Jason called. Mac scrunched her forehead in thought. Computer? She let a wry smile cross her lips as a possibility came to mind. It was time to take a page out of Harm's playbook...

* * *

After many hours, Mattie had the new computer set up. She thanked her lucky stars the electrician had finished wiring up the house to have internet connection. Even at the age of 26, she would die if she went another day without instant messaging. She opened a word processing program and turned away for a moment. For a week, she had neglected her college studies, helping with moving into this house. She was a grad student now, getting her Masters Degree in Law. She had intended on learning to fly F-16s, but after Harm had died she couldn't bring herself to do it anymore. Her father maintained Grace Aviation without her.

Instead, after high school and two years of a dead end job, she finally went to college. After flipping through several books and notepads, she finally found what she was looking for. When she came back to her computer, she found two words already typed on her screen. They said: **Hello Mattie.**

She looked around nervously, gulped and tried to laugh it off. No way. There was no way. She felt a chill run down her spine anyway and she choked, "Who's there? Jenn? Are you playing a joke on me?"

She then heard the clicking sound of the keys. Someone was typing, but whoever it was, she couldn't see them! She shivered and watched as the new message typed on her screen:

**No Mattie. This isn't a joke. Please don't be scared. This is Mac and we need to talk.**

To be continued...


	4. Spirits Among Us

Disclaimer: JAG is the property of Donald P. Bellisario, Paramount Pictures, CBS Television and Belisarius Productions. I hope I spelled all of that stuff right.

Author's Note: Thanks to everyone for reviewing! I was soo nervous about this, but your reviews have quelled the anxiety. Thanks again to jagchick105 for you input! It helped a great deal! You rock! As a side note, I will also start posting every Friday. :)

"Unfinished Business"

by e-dog

**Chapter Four: Spirits Among Us**

_**Manderlee**_

_**October 3, 2014**_

Mac watched the young woman in front of her and saw she was frozen with shock. She cringed as she knew this was borderline between scary and freaky or it could quite possibly be both. Hopefully, Mattie would snap out of it and talk back. She continued to wait for a response, but it took way too long and Mac was being slightly impatient, so she typed another sentence.

**Mattie...you with me?**

Mattie stared blankly at the screen, her breaths becoming short and rapid. "This can't be real...."

She waved her hand over the keyboard but couldn't feel anything. Nothing was there. She slowly looked around, but still saw no one. If there was no one here, who the hell was typing? She backed up in her chair away from her desk, intending on standing up and walking away slowly. She was going to walk away and pretend it never happened. Then she heard frantic typing.

**No Mattie, don't leave. Please, we have to talk. Don't **

That was enough! She screamed, jumped up out of her chair and ran out of the her bedroom faster than Mac had seen any human run before! Mac uttered a heavy sigh and raced out of the room after Mattie. So much for trying not to scare her, but what other choice did she have? She was beginning to understand Harm's logic behind starting the car and surprising Jason. They were ghosts; it was the only way they were going to ever make contact. Once downstairs, she spotted Mattie talking extremely fast to Jenn, who wasn't listening at all. Someone was at the door.

"Wait, Mattie, just let me get the door first!" Jenn tried to say to her in between her rambling and squeaking. She opened the door and to Mac's surprise, it was the Robert's family! Jenn smiled and waved them in, "C'mon in, everyone. Jason is upstairs, but he'll be down soon."

"Oh, Jennifer!" Harriet gushed and placed a hand over her heart. "You really made this place shine!"

Bud walked in behind her and was followed by two young boys and two smaller children. He leaned over to Jenn and tried to ask discreetly, "Have you and Mattie been okay....living here?"

Jenn forced a weak smile and nodded, "Yeah. So far, we've been okay. After we found out what happened and learned the truth, we just had to buy the house. We also understood that Clay was never coming back to keep the place. Unlike, our former CIA acquaintance, we're not willing to let their memory fade away."

Bud approved of her answer and wrapped his arm around Harriet's shoulders. Harriet's golden hair now had small traces of grey, making her look slightly older. However, the last ten years had been good to her. Bud, on the other hand, had been a mix of dark and light hairs long before and his head was now a full head of grey. Even still, it appeared his personality was still intact and that pleased Mac. Harriet too, was still very bubbly and all smiles. She was happy to see her friends didn't change much even after what had happened.

Mac studied the four kids now. One was taller then Bud and reminded her of Mikey. She smiled sadly as she realized it was Little AJ, her godson. Well, he definitely wasn't little anymore. He was a tall young man, surprisingly slender and had to be 15 years old by now. Another boy, who was almost Harriet's height and build was right behind him. She assumed this was Jimmy. Both of the young boys looked like their father. The other children she was never given the opportunity to meet, but she knew they were the twins Harriet had been carrying before leaving JAG. They were both girls and very cute ones at that! It seemed as though Harriet didn't mind dressing them up to look alike either for they both wore blue jeans and red tops. Both had blond hair pulled up into ponytails and both wore the same sneakers. While an outsider probably thought it was cute, Mac was sure the girls wanted their own identity.

Jason came down the stairs, hair freshly slicked back from his shower. The twins immediately brightened up and squealed, "Jason!"

"Katie, Erin!" he almost squealed back at them. Then he put on a face of mock bewilderment and questioned, "Or is it Erin and Katie? I always mix you two up..."

"You know who we are, Jason!" they said simultaneously. "Stop playing around!"

He scooped the girls up and they giggled and kicked as he carried them into the family room for a pillow fight.

While Jenn showed Bud and Harriet the kitchen, a very antsy Mattie waited impatiently. Little AJ approached her and smiled shyly, "Hey, Mattie."

"Hi, Little AJ," she said back, with no smile and shakiness in her voice. He looked at her curious, intrigued by her jumpy behavior but shrugged it off.

"Just AJ. Not Little AJ," the young boy pushed and put on his classic annoyed face. "I'm not little anymore, okay?"

"I'm sorry, Little AJ, but I'm 26 years old and I'm still treated like a teenager around here, so deal with it," Mattie complained, mostly referring to the fact that Jenn was and had been ignoring her. Mattie went back into the kitchen to try and again tell Jenn what had happened on her computer.

"Would you rather she call you Albert Jethro?" Jimmy teased and just like that, AJ pounced on his little brother enraged. It appeared the sibling rivalry was still there as well and AJ wasn't going to let Jimmy get away with saying something like that! They dashed past Mac and into the family room, chasing each other. Mac laughed at the memory, when Bud and Harriet had announced they would name their son after the Admiral only to be surprised by what his initials really stood for. And just as Mac thought of how Bud came up with Jimmy's name....

"You're dead, Captain Kirk!" AJ shouted back and pushed him into the couch. Mac watched on with unhappy eyes, wishing she had gotten to know the boys better. Everyone had grown up and changed so much. It was still hard to understand why she had died. There was still so much for her to see and take part in! Harriet finally rushed in from the kitchen in reaction to the ruckus and she was obviously not happy with her sons' behavior.

"Jimmy! AJ! Stop it this instant!" Harriet ordered, her military training still in full force. Her voice was so loud and powerful Mac began to wonder if Harriet maybe had a Commanding Officer position somewhere. AJ hit his brother one last time, before the boys finally calmed down and stopped fighting. Harriet motioned for them to come into the kitchen and she gave each a light warning smack on the back of their heads, "You two will be the death of me..."

Mac watched them leave and wanted to follow. She wanted to listen in on their conversations and try to catch up, but she felt Harm had the right to know what had happened with Mattie. She had to apologize for yelling at him. It took her mere minutes to reach him. He had seen her coming and he turned away so he wouldn't have to look at her. She came to rest next to him on the sand. He was purposely not talking to her so she was going have to be the first to speak, "Harm? There's something I have to tell you..."

"I thought I said I wanted to be alone, Mac?" Harm snapped. "Seeing how I'm stuck with you for all eternity, you would think I could spend at least ten minutes to myself without you joined to my hip."

Mac felt something crumble inside her at those words. Yes, she admitted she had been awful and shouldn't have yelled at him, but did she deserve that? She looked away from him and tried to concentrate on something else, resisting the urge to cry. Harm stole a quick glance at her, regretting the words as soon as he said them. He wasn't really mad at her, he was just frustrated with everything else. He reached his hand over and tried to apologize, "Mac, I didn't mean it like that. I just..."

"You didn't mean it?" she repeated, trying to hold her composure and moving away out of Harm's reach. "Harm, you said it and you meant it. You can't take it back." She rose from the sand and started to head back to the house. She paused for a moment and told him, "I almost forgot to tell you, Bud and Harriet are here with all of their children. I think they are here for dinner."

"Mac..." Harm called after her.

"No, Harm, I want to leave you alone. I don't want to make you feel like we're joined at the hip," she said, using his words on him and sounding very hurt. She was gone before Harm could say anything else.

He covered his face with his hands and groaned inwardly. "Damn it. Just when you think there's nothing worse than death..."

"Ouch, mate. That was just wrong. No wonder you two never shacked up when you were alive."

"Is that all you do? Eavesdrop and ridicule?" Harm rolled his eyes as Simon made himself visible, sitting next to Harm on the sand. Harm didn't wait for an answer and decided to go inside and find Mac. Simon continued to just sit there and saw that the sun was preparing to set. He smiled wickedly, pleased to see that night was coming. Things were so much scarier at night.

He stretched out in the sand and began to hum a familiar song. His deep, chilling vocals became strong and carried across the waves in the water. Mac had been inside, enjoying the sight of her friends laughing and eating dinner, then she heard those dark chords pass through the walls. She noticed that her colleagues couldn't hear it, despite how loud it was becoming with each passing measure. It came slowly, but she finally recognized the tune.

When Simon got to his favorite part he made the words loud and clear, "But the swagman, he up and he jumped in the waterhole. Drowning himself by the Coolabah tree. And his _ghost_ may be heard as it sings in the Billabong, who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda with me?"

Harm was on the porch, listening to Simon's voice carry over the house as well. The song was quite innocuous; simply a song some people chose to sing around Halloween. It even reminded him of the time when Mic Brumby had left for Australia and the JAG crew sang it as their way of saying goodbye and good luck. Then, the song was more lively. However, hearing it now, it was quite different. The words were being sung by a tormented and furious ghost and he made the words fall flat and feel lifeless.

"Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda with me?" Simon finished the song there and as far as Harm could tell, he had disappeared to wherever it was he liked to hide. For the first time, that ominous chill Harm felt every time Simon came around was very pronounced. The air became heavy all around him. Then just as quickly, the breeze picked up and washed through his vaporous body. In fact, it almost literally blew him off the porch. Harm slipped into the house to escape that awful feeling, but even after getting inside, it was still there.

Mac slowly came up behind him and asked, "Do you feel that?"

Harm turned to look at her and nodded yes. He then focused his attention on his friends. For a long time, Harm knew Simon's spirit had been evil, but now he felt there was true danger. The question was, when would Simon finally strike?

_One hour later...._

"Mattie, please," Jenn pleaded with her. "Can't this wait until after Bud and Harriet leave?"

"No, Jenn, I know what I saw! The letters are still on my screen!" Mattie insisted. "What happened to the Jenn I used to know?"

"She finally grew up and got married and bought a house!" Jenn informed her and sighed deeply. "I know Harm and Mac mean a lot to you. They mean a lot to me too, but it's been ten years! We bought the house to remember them by, but at some point we have to move on with our lives, okay?"

"I bet Jason would believe me...," Mattie huffed and stormed out of the kitchen. Jenn folded her arms across her chest feeling as if she were totally in the wrong even though her mind was telling her she had to be right! She was right....right? It was one thing for Jason to claim his car was started by a ghost, but now that Mattie had mentioned strange phenomenon too, it was beginning to make her wonder if they were the ones actually telling the truth.

Mattie found Little AJ sitting on the floor watching the television. She pulled on his arm and yanked him up off the floor.

"Hey!" he protested. "I was watching TV!"

She pulled him aside and whispered, "What do you know about ghosts?"

"Ghosts? Mattie, I'm trying to grow up and not follow in my dad's weirdo, sci-fi footsteps!" AJ whined. She gave him an insistent death stare and he folded quickly. "I dunno, most ghosts stay around because of something that happened when they were alive."

"What kinds of things?" Mattie pushed. "Please, AJ, this is important..."

He rolled his eyes, "Some seek revenge. Other's weren't buried properly or were never buried at all."

"Maybe it's revenge, but they were given a proper burial...," Mattie thought out loud. She shook her head and asked, "Any other reasons?"

"Uh, maybe they need to tell you something or finish something that was never completed," AJ continued, then paused and looked at her curiously. "Why do you need to know all of this?"

"I think I encountered....a ghost...thingy," Mattie said quietly to which AJ laughed loudly. She hit him and hissed, "Stop laughing! I'm serious. I think it was Mac!"

At this, he stopped laughing and his eyes grew large. He gulped and squeaked, "Aunty Mac?"

Mattie nodded and dragged him up the stairs to her room. She showed him the computer. He asked her repeatedly if she was positive Mac typed it. Mattie insisted no one else was in the room and that it had to be a ghost. AJ shook his head in the negative, "If this is true, we're not dealing with a ghost of Mac."

"We're not?" Mattie asked, feeling slightly confused. "Then what?"

"It's her spirit," AJ told her, feeling strangely excited. An actual spirit! He just couldn't believe it!

"There's a difference?" Mattie chuckled. "I mean, doesn't that mean they're dead either way?"

"Well, yeah, but ghosts are more like holograms," AJ explained, starting to sound like his usual self. When he was little, all he could talk about was Uncle Harm this and airplanes that. He even talked about joining the Navy at the young age of 10. However, pieces of Bud and his love of the sci-fi world started to effect Little AJ's life. After he tired of aliens and Star Trek, he found a new hobby. Studying ghosts. He was suddenly an expert on everything and anything paranormal. Whatever he said, Mattie took as the truth.

He paced the room and quickly spouted off the difference between ghosts and spirits, "Ghosts usually don't speak nor do they pay much attention to the living. They usually show up at the same time, on the same day, making the same motions. A spirit, on the other hand, still has all their mental and emotional facilities intact. They still can retain memory and interact with other living beings. They can most likely move objects, fly around, and in some cases communicate verbally. In other words, if Aunty...I mean, if Aunt Mac were here in this room typing on this computer, she's still maintaining a full existence...as if she were still alive!"

"Impressive," Harm commented with a grin and Mac playfully hit him on the shoulder without saying anything. He glanced at her, hoping they were okay. He tried apologizing again for what he said on the beach, but she either ignored him or pretended that it didn't happen. He sighed and returned his thoughts to AJ's explanation of their existence. They were, of course, intentionally listening in and what the young man said was making total sense to them. It explained why they merely existed and could remember everything from their previous lives and still retain memories from the past ten years as well. It also explained Simon's weird behavior, only showing up once a year to request the same thing over and over again. There was one thing that couldn't be explained: if Simon was behaving as a ghost in the beginning, what made him a spirit now?

"So, how can you tell when she's around?" Mattie asked AJ, her eyes darting around.

He shrugged, "I dunno. Maybe we just call her or get an Ouija board. I have a board, but it's not here. Although, the Ouija board is a very powerful tool and can be quite dangerous. It's said that..."

"Okay, stop while you're ahead," Mattie covered his mouth with her hand. She had all the information she needed now and wanted to hear nothing more about black magic. "Let's just be thankful we don't have an Ouija board. Jenn already thinks I'm weird enough..."

"An Ouija board?" Harriet repeated, sounding displeased with the topic of discussion. "AJ, I thought we talked about all this ghost nonsense? What happened to flying F-16s and growing up to be like Uncle Harm?"

Little AJ just remained silent at the sound of Harm's name and was looking embarrassed he was caught talking about anything phantasmal again. Mattie was aware he was trying to "grow up", so she knew he was going to start talking about football or something to feel more "manly". She took it upon herself to take the blame, "I'm sorry, Harriet. I asked him about it and pushed for answers. I know how you don't like that stuff."

Harriet gave a small smile anyway, "It's okay, Mattie. It's just I never know where his interests are anymore. One day he's talking about sports, the next he's back to the vampires and werewolves!"

"Mom!" AJ whined and stomped his foot. "Enough already!"

"Well, grab your coat, it's time to go," Harriet told him and left the room.

Mattie looked at him and he was clearly disappointed. She patted his shoulder and suggested, "Try coming back for Halloween. I'll convince Jenn to throw a costume party and while everyone else is busy, we'll look for Mac."

His face brightened up at this suggestion and he agreed. Little AJ then looked around the room timidly and asked, "You will be there for the party, right Aunt Mac?"

The two of them were met with silence and Mattie watched her keyboard to see if Mac would respond, but there was nothing. After a few minutes passed and Harriet called for AJ again, they gave up on waiting for an answer. Mattie sighed and apologized, "I'm sorry, AJ. Maybe I _was_ hallucinating."

"I still believe you, Mattie," he said as they walked out and down the stairs together. "Maybe she's not in the house right now or something. We'll find out for sure on Halloween."

"Really?" Mattie asked, feeling better she wasn't the only one who now believed in ghosts and spirits.

"Yeah," AJ smiled. "I have some very effective tools we could use to contact the dead!"

"Oh boy," she said sarcastically and couldn't resist in rolling her eyes as well. "I can't wait!"

"Me either!" he gushed, not aware of her sarcasm and grabbed his coat. After the goodbyes were done, Mattie went back in her room and sat down finally ready to do some homework. She looked up and her heart skipped a beat. A part of her was still very scared, but after talking it over with AJ, another part of her was taking this quite well. New words had been typed on the screen and she smiled nervously as she read them.

**I wouldn't miss it for the world. And I'll bring Harm too. :)**

"Harm?" she whispered. Harm was a ghost too? Mattie sat back in her chair, amused Mac put up a smiley face after that phrase. Like, Harm was in the doghouse or something and she was "letting" him tag along. She clamped her eyes shut and rubbed them very tired and confused. "C'mon, Mattie! What are you thinking?"

She looked around the empty, silent room. For some strange reason, she felt them. Her mind kept screaming at her, "If you can't see it then don't believe it!" Even still, her heart could feel them in the room with her. She shook her head in disbelief then called out to them, "You do know this is freaky, right?"

To be continued...


	5. Jeepers Creepers

Disclaimer: JAG is the property of Donald P. Bellisario, Paramount Pictures, CBS Television and Belisarius Productions. I hope I spelled all of that stuff right.

Author's Note:  Thanks for the reviews!  :)  Special thanks to jagchick105 for your input and beta work!

"Unfinished Business"

by e-dog

**Chapter Five: Jeepers Creepers**

_**Manderlee**_

_**October 22, 2014**_

Lieutenant Jason Tiner had fallen asleep at his desk on top of case files and other things. It suddenly occurred to him (in his subconscious mind) that he could be drooling on some very important documents for his upcoming case. His eyes fluttered open and he lifted his groggy head up off the desk. He glanced at the clock on his computer and it told him it was 3 in the morning. He stretched, then jumped when he heard a loud noise hit the house.

"Whoa!" he gasped. His heart was in his throat, but when he looked across the office, he saw it was just the window shutter. It was loose on the outside and had started to bang in the wind. He groaned thinking of how he was going to have to fix that. Or at least wait until Jenn went to work and _hire_ someone to fix that.

He had to admit. Ever since the car incident, every noise in the house caused him to jump in fear. If something moved on it's own, or he thought it moved on it's own, he leapt up and ended up looking like a fool in front of his wife. He even had a hard time sleeping in his own bedroom because he kept feeling eyes on them. It was part of the reason he fell asleep at the desk half the time. He ran a hand through his hair and jumped when the shutter banged again. Forget hiring someone, he was going to fix it now with some duct tape. He went searching for the tape and found it. He also retrieved a step ladder and went outside to fix the window so he could go back to sleep.

He found a lantern in the shed, struck a match and lit it. He carried that, his ladder and the duct tape to the broken shutter. He set himself up and climbed up high enough to tape it against the house. Before he got started, he felt a cold wind rush past him. He paused and timidly looked around. He shrugged it off, knowing it was only the breeze.

"Darn thing," he muttered as he started ripping duct tape and applying it. Once he thought it wouldn't bang anymore, he began to climb down. He didn't touch the ground, however. He paused after he felt the strangest chill rush past him. He stopped and gripped the ladder and looked around. He mumbled to himself, "Now that was definitely not the wind..."

He turned and gasped, "Oh God..."

A shovel flew at him and knocked him off the ladder. He yelped in pain and hit the ground hard; his body sprawled out and his face in the dirt. He lifted his head up, his shoulder ringing in pain and he spit the dirt out of his mouth. He looked over his good shoulder and saw the shovel hanging in the air, the moonlight glistening off the top.

He then thought back to the CIA reports Jenn and Mattie were finally able to obtain on the death of their friends. Former MI-6 agent Simon Tanveer had attempted to bury Harm and Mac using a shovel similar to the one he was seeing hovering in the air right now. He completely turned over, now on his back and began to inch away, keeping a wary eye on the shovel.

* * *

Harm floated into the office to check on Jason but found he wasn't there. He had only left for a moment. Did Jason already go upstairs? He made a complete circle looking for the younger man, then called out, "Mac? You here?" 

"Yeah, what's up?" she asked as she came out of the closet.

He looked at her amused and asked, "Why are you in the closet?"

"I just came through there, you got a problem?" she asked, smirking a bit.

"No," he shook his head and tried not to laugh. "You have to admit, it looks pretty funny that you are coming out of the closet."

"It's a short cut from Mattie's room, okay? Happy?" Mac pushed him playfully. "So what's wrong?"

"I can't find Tiner, that's all," Harm shrugged and then looked out the window. He saw the shovel and he also saw Simon holding it. Without saying anything, he immediately flew outside and tackled Tanveer before he could do anymore damage. Mac rushed to the window and watched them tussle and she spotted a frozen Jason Tiner on the ground.

Jason watched the shovel swing back and forth on it's own. He wanted to move, but he was just too frightened at what he was seeing! Mac cursed under her breath, when she realized Tiner wasn't going anywhere. She needed to get help. Up through the ceiling she went and back into Mattie's room. She saw the computer was still on, so she turned up the volume and flipped on the music. Mattie nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the loud noise and then saw the word processing program open up. She muttered, "There are other ways to wake people up, guys..."

She stumbled out of bed, cut off the music and read what was on the screen.

**Jason is in trouble! He's outside and if he doesn't come inside, Simon will get him. I don't know how long Harm can hold him off.**

"Simon?" Mattie questioned, than forgot about it. She quickly pulled on her shoes and rushed down the steps. She had to help Jason. She burst through the back door and saw him laying there in shock. She could also see the dirt being kicked up like people were fighting and a shovel laying on the ground. She rushed over to Jason and yanked on his arm, "C'mon, get up!"

"But...do you see....?" he mumbled and managed to point. "That shovel!"

"Jason, please!" Mattie pushed.

Mac also watched. She was standing next to them, urging him to get up, "C'mon, Tiner! You haven't grown a backbone yet? Get up!"

Then they all heard the sound of something being thrown into the shed and several pieces of tools and lawn furniture fell over inside. To Mattie and Jason, it was just a bunch of tools falling down, but to Mac she could see Simon had somehow thrown Harm off of him and into the shed. She immediately flew in to help Harm.

Mattie saw the shovel being picked back up and it was aimed at them. "Okay, now we really have to get inside, Jason!"

It was at this Jason finally complied and they both made a run for it. The shovel was coming at them so quickly, Mattie feared they wouldn't make it, and she was right. It stopped them just before the porch. They stood there, watching the shovel swing. They slowly backed up and Mattie mumbled, "Now would be a good time to come back, Harm!"

As if her wish was being answered, the shovel was suddenly thrown out of their way. She looked over her shoulder and couldn't believe her eyes. In the traces of moonlight, she could see them! Two misty forms wrestling in the dirt: One looking like Harm and the other she presumed to be Simon. It they weren't fighting, it would've been the most beautiful thing she had ever seen! She blinked her eyes a few times, to see if she was daydreaming, but they were still there. She dropped her jaw and whispered, "Oh wow...."

Then Harm looked at her desperately and he pleaded out loud, "Get inside! Get inside, now!"

Mattie remained frozen, shocked she could even hear him, let alone see him! The sound of his voice sent shivers down her spine and sent her back to her teenage years. The memories instantly flooded her head as she could finally make out that aqua marine color in his eyes. Then just like that, the forms disappeared, leaving her bewildered and amazed.

Jason, who had wondered why they even stopped, turned to look too but didn't get the chance as Mattie forced him inside. They shut the door and locked it and both collapsed to the ground breathless. Jenn came running down the steps and asked nervously, "What was going on outside? Jason, did you hurt yourself?"

They both looked up at her and mumbled, "Ghosts...."

She immediately rolled her eyes and said, "Please, guys, not that again..."

"Hey, you're never around when it happens!" Jason protested and stood up to face her. He waved his arms around and shouted, "I was being attacked by a shovel!!"

Jenn sighed and said as calmly as possible, "You do know how stupid that sounds, right Jason?"

"I know what happened out there, Jenn!" Jason continued to fight. "This place is haunted!"

While they argued, Mattie looked back outside, peeking through the blinds. The shovel just lay there. No more dirt was flying around and she couldn't see Harm or Simon like she could before. A nervousness built inside her as she wondered what was going on. Did she really see Harm? Before Jenn could say another word, Mattie turned around and announced, "I can prove it, Jenn. You wouldn't listen to me before, but I can prove it. This house is haunted...sorta."

Jenn looked at Mattie, then at her husband. It was now she saw they weren't playing around. They were being very sincere and she could also take note of the genuine fear in Jason's eyes. She finally sobered up and asked Mattie to prove this to her once and for all. She followed them to Mattie's room, where both she and Jason sat on the bed and waited for Mattie to set up the computer. She increased the font size so it would be easier to read. She turned to face them and cleared her throat, "I'm hoping he made it back inside for this..."

"Who?" Jason asked. He had witnessed the strange phenomenon around the house, but Mattie had never shown him whatever he was about to see.

Mattie looked around, hoping they were around and she wouldn't look like a total idiot. "Mac? Harm? You there?"

Jenn cocked an eyebrow in disgust and shook her head immediately, "You have got to be kidding, Mattie..."

"Just wait...," Mattie instructed quietly then looked around. "C'mon, guys. Tell me you're okay."

Then they all heard it. The typing on her computer had started and they could all obviously see, Mattie wasn't the one who was typing it. She had purposely stood a good foot away with her hands behind her back to show she wasn't joking. Each key was being pressed by some unknown force and Jenn dropped her jaw as she read the message.

**Harm is fine, Mattie. Don't worry. We're both here.**

Mattie looked at both Jason and Jenn and wanted to laugh, despite how cruel that would've been. They had on the same expressions she had on nearly two weeks ago when Mac started typing to her. The totally amazed and freaked out expression. Her amusement was cut short however when Jenn started to look sick, then rolled off the bed and hit the floor with a thud. Jason jumped up startled, then knelt down next to her. He panicked at first, then sighed in relief. He looked up and announced, "She just fainted."

He scooped her up and placed her on Mattie's bed. Mattie heard typing on the screen again and it read,

**Harm went to get ice.**

"Oh, okay, thanks," Mattie said out loud.

"Thanks for what?" Jason asked confused.

"No, not you, I was talking to...uh, Mac," Mattie clarified, then almost laughed again at Jason's disturbed expression. His face became even more contorted when he saw ice wrapped up in washrag float into the room all by itself. Mattie quickly took it to try make this entire scene look less eerie and said, "Harm got it."

Jason just stared at her jaw dropped and eyes wide in disbelief. He took the washrag, finally found his voice and stuttered, "Thank you, Comdr.  Or sir...uh, thanks, Harm?"

On the computer screen it typed: **Your welcome, Tiner and just call me Harm. It's obvious I'm not in the Navy anymore. Haven't been for ten years. **

"Yes, of course, sir...er, Harm," Jason replied, still looking very confused and troubled. He couldn't see who he was talking to, but he knew Harm was there...somehow. He gently applied the ice to Jennifer's head who stirred a little bit but didn't fully wake up. Jason looked at Mattie again, "Uh...this is...uh..."

"Freaky?" Mattie suggested and he nodded. She sighed and looked around the room. "Yeah, they already know."

_**October 23, 2014**_

_**Manderlee**_

It was early the next morning and Jenn had finally awoken. Actually, she had come to nearly 20 minutes after fainting, but she kept her eyes closed hoping sleep would take her. Then she would wake up and find everything that happened the previous night was just a bad dream. She cautiously opened her eyes and felt the pressure of her husband lying on her arm. He had this bad habit of curling up next to her and getting too snug. "Jason...get off..."

"Hmph...?" he mumbled, then sleepily sat up and asked immediately, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Head hurts a little," she admitted as she sat up. At some point, Jason had carried her back to their bedroom and for that she was glad. She wasn't in Mattie's room where all the weird events took place.

"Jenn, I think we should talk about last night," Jason offered, although he meant for it to sound more like a direct order. "I mean, I think we really should..."

"Uh, how about we don't," she said politely and rose from the bed. She went to leave, but Harm was one step ahead of her. He shut the bedroom door before she could leave, a sign that he wanted her to talk to Jason as well. She gulped and turned to look at Jason, "Was that...?"

"Harm or Mac?" Jason answered, with a shrug. "It could've been either one. Believe me, I'm having a hard time adjusting to this too."

She let her face become very determined not to believe it. She had tried very hard to grow up. To not take things for granted and not to believe everything she heard. It had taken her a long time to learn to keep to herself and to not meddle in other people's lives.  The idea of ghosts...living in their house.  It was just beyond anything and everything she had tried to become!  Jason stood up and gently grabbed her arm, "I'm sorry, Jenn. As much as you want to believe this isn't true, it is. Harm and Mac are in this house."

"I believe you," she finally acknowledged and leaned into her husband. "Actually, I suspected something a long time ago..."

"You did?" he asked inquisitively and gave her a small smile.

"Yeah, I didn't pay attention to it at first," she recalled and walked over to the window. "After you claimed the car started itself, the next day, I was in the kitchen. I heard the wind chimes jingle. When I stepped outside, I noticed the strangest thing."

"What's that?" he asked.

"There was no wind," she smiled. "It was early in the morning and the weather was fair. No clouds in the sky and I heard the chimes. After that, I kept noticing little things that were off, but I kept ignoring them. I didn't want to believe it."

"It is hard to believe," Jason smiled weakly in return and hugged her from behind.

Harm folded his arms across his chest, as he watched them. It was a relief to say the least that Jason and Jenn knew they were here. That they still existed. Naturally, they were afraid at first, but ghosts can be hard to ignore once a shovel tries to kill you. That's when he thought of Simon. He was becoming even more impatient and even more dangerous. It angered him that he had no idea how to stop him. Last night, he was only able to fight him off long enough to protect Mattie and Jason. There was no way to get rid of Simon for one obvious reason. You can't kill something that is already dead. He left the room to let the couple be alone and to maybe talk things over with Mac. Jason, Jennifer and Mattie couldn't hide inside the house forever. Every time they stepped outside, there was a chance Simon would go after them. Something had to be done.

* * *

"Harm? Mac?" Mattie called out. She waited a minute for some signal they were there. She turned to the kitchen table when she heard a chair scrap against the tile floor. She slowly approached the table and placed down a notepad and pen. She mostly wanted him or her to handwrite his/her responses, just so she could study the handwriting. It was easier to make sure she was actually talking to Harm and not Mac or to Mac and not Harm. And hopefully, Simon would never try to impersonate either one of them. 

She paused, then asked, "Which one am I talking to?"

She watched in amazement as the pen lifted up and began to write. It didn't matter how many times she talked to them. The fact that she could see things move without anyone touching them still stunned her. She knew who it was before the answer was finished. It was definitely his chicken scratch.

**It's Harm.**

"Uh...hey," Mattie sat down and looked around the table, forgetting which chair was pulled out.

**I'm in the chair across from you. **

"I knew that," Mattie lied through her embarrassed smile. She saw the notepad move next to her and then saw that chair change position as if someone was sitting down next to her. Then she read the notepad.

**I'll sit next to you so this is easier to read. **

"Thanks," she said, now feeling really nervous. This could quite possibly be the closest she had been to Harm in the last ten years. Well, it _was _the closest she had been and what made it so surreal was the fact he wasn't alive. He was a ghost. She twiddled her thumbs and tried to think about what to say or do next. It was still extremely awkward.

**Mattie? Are you scared of me?**

"Oh no, Harm! I could never be scared of you," she said, sounding very apologetic. "I'm sorry, it's just this is still very, very weird right now."

**I understand.**

"You always did...do," she corrected herself and chuckled lightly. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I wanted to tell you something."

**I'm listening.**

"Last night, I could...see you," she began. When there was no response, she mentally pictured Harm having on that shocked face he always wore. She giggled a little at the thought and finished, "But it was only for a minute. I could see both you and Simon fighting outside."

**Do you know how that could be possible?**

"Well, I was hoping you would know," she admitted. "I've never been able to see you before, until last night." She paused for a moment and then said, "I think I also felt you...or Mac once. Like, I brushed past your arm or something."

Mattie couldn't see him, but he rose his eyebrows even more surprised. A smile slowly crossed his face as what he had been dreaming of finally seemed to be possible. Maybe he could finally hug her. Maybe she could finally see him. He tapped the pen for a moment, then wrote:

**Face me and hold up your hand. **

Mattie did as she was told. She turned to face the chair she assumed Harm was sitting in and held up her hand. Anticipation began to build as she knew what her former adoptive father was trying to do. He was trying to make physical contact with her. She closed her eyes waiting.

Harm slowly lifted his hand and spread his fingers wide. He slowly inched forward until his hand was mere centimeters from hers. He took a deep breath and began to concentrate as if he were trying to lift the kitchen table or something. His hand brushed hers momentarily before it lost it's "solidity" and her hand passed though his.

She gasped and opened her eyes, "I felt something!"

Harm smiled, excited and frantically wrote, **So did I, Mattie! It worked but only for a moment.**

For whatever reason, tears started to build in her eyes. She was either just happy to be able to talk to him again or saddened by the fact that he still wasn't....human. One tear managed to slip down her cheek and she wiped it away quickly. Harm watched and was starting to become emotional himself. He instinctively lifted his hand to cup her cheek and wipe the tears away. Just like he would have when they still lived together. To both their surprise, his hand was able to brush it away and she could feel the cold emanating from him. She jumped back at his touch, startled. She wasn't expecting him to wipe her tear away. He wasn't expecting it either and began to panic. She looked frightened.

**I didn't mean to startle you. I'm sorry.**

She read what he wrote, then smiled weakly, "Don't be."

They sat there for a moment. Mattie couldn't understand what was happening to her, but something definitely was changing. She continued staring where she thought Harm was sitting. He was staring back at her with all the love he had shown for her before he died.

To be continued...


	6. It's Been A Long Time Coming

Disclaimer: JAG is the property of Donald P. Bellisario, Paramount Pictures, CBS Television and Belisarius Productions. I hope I spelled all of that stuff right.

Author's Notes:  It was kindly pointed out to me that if I keep posting every Friday, it could very well be December by the time I finish.  Haha, soooo it would be weird to read a ghost story around the holidays.  Hence, the early posting.  Hopefully, if school doesn't get too overbearing, I'll find time to post the rest of this story as soon as possible. 

"Unfinished Business"

by e-dog

**Chapter Six: It's Been a Long Time Coming**

_**Manderlee**_

_**October 25, 2014**_

The gate creaked as he pushed it open, then the old door got stuck in a patch of dirt. He gave it another hard shove and then the gate opened easily. He stood in the passageway, staring at the one place where he always thought he could be safe. His thinning hair wisped in the sea breeze, his aged features accented by the sun. He felt frozen in place, not sure if he should continue forward or not. He didn't believe them when they told him they were going to buy it. Looking at the fixed up house and the newly planted garden, it was obvious they proved him wrong.

He had sold Manderlee after his mother died and forgot about it. Or at least tried to forget...then he got word of Mattie and Jenn buying the place. He just had to come back.

Clayton Webb finally took his first full step inside and had to do everything in his power not to cry. The memories were just too much and he suddenly collapsed to the ground and wept.

Mac had been aimlessly floating around, then saw the hunched figure on the ground. His body shaking with sorrow. Concern washed over her as well as the curiosity as to who the person was. It wasn't too long before he rose his head and she gasped in surprise, "Clay..."

He wiped his eyes and looked in her direction. His face contorted in bewilderment as he looked directly at her. Right into her eyes. She began to panic wondering what was going on. Was he really looking at her? Then her suspicions were proven false when she heard Jason call, "Mr. Webb? Is that you?"

She sighed deeply, realizing Clay was looking through her, not at her. Jason ran by her and knelt down next to the man on the ground. She drifted over, but kept her distance, trying to get a good look at her former lover. Jason helped Clay to stand and stabilize himself and told him, "Mr. Webb, you shouldn't be here. Your doctor said it wouldn't be healthy..."

"No," Clay said hoarsely, then coughed. Mac grimaced as it sounded like he had a smoker's cough. He gently pushed Jason aside and stood under his own power, "It's been a long time. Too long. I had to come back."

It was now Jenn's turn to come outside and she too looked surprise. It was becoming obvious that Clay's visit wasn't planned. "Clay? What are you doing here? I thought you're doctor told you to stay in bed."

Clay's eyes suddenly looked heavy and tired. He straightened out his coat and smoothed his hair. His lip quivered for a moment then he spoke, "I've been living with this guilt for too long. My mother is dead and I haven't been a field agent in nearly six years. You have to understand, coming here...to this house. It's all I have left..."

He coughed again and Jason immediately took his arm and gave a fake smile, "Well, you are welcome here, Mr. Webb. Are you hungry?"

Jenn had a look of disapproval, but knew she wasn't going to turn him away. She too gave a small smile and led them back inside, "We can give you some tea."

"No tea! No, not that," Clay said animatedly. The two younger persons looked at him confused, but they would never know the significance behind a single cup of tea. He thought back to that day in September, ten years ago. After nearly killing the woman he loved, all he could think to do was come here and make a cup of tea. No. Coming back here was having a toll on him already. Drinking tea would only make it hurt more.

"Coffee?" she suggested and to that Clay wholeheartedly agreed. "Okay then. C'mon in."

Mac just watched them go inside. She sank to the ground, not knowing what to feel or how to act. After shutting her eyes for a moment, a thought came to her. If Clay was here, this was her opportunity to make things right. If she talked to Clay and finished what was started between them, then she could finally be at peace. It was then she saw Harm float around the house with an obvious confused expression. He was wondering why Clay was even here. Her face took on a sad look as she realized, if she reconciled with Clay, she would be leaving Harm behind forever.

* * *

Mattie was having a hard time looking at Clay let alone sitting next to him. He too was avoiding eye contact with her for good reason. It was the beginning of September when they spoke last and the conversation wasn't a pleasant one...

_**September 10, 2014**_

Mattie entered Clay's office and sat down. He was sitting there, drinking some form of alcohol rather freely and didn't care if he drank in front of her. He rubbed a hand over his face to wake himself up and said monotone, "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes," she started timidly. "About Harm and Mac. Remember?"

He groaned, took another sip and threw the empty glass in the trash can. It clanged loudly and he sighed, "Yes, unfortunately, I remember."

Mattie was already losing her patience and threw a few folders down in front of him. She stood up and leaned forward, "I've waited too long and worked too hard to get where I am today. I've squeezed every detail I've could out your superiors and have obtained records through the help of former Admiral Chegwidden. I don't need you to act like a stupid drunk now, you understand?"

Clay looked at her, surprised at the gusto she had. It took him a moment to remember that she had no patience for alcohol. Seeing how her father nearly ruined his entire life over substance abuse, her attitude suddenly didn't surprise him.

He looked down at the folders. He saw they were reports on the late Commander Harmon Rabb Jr. and Lt. Colonel Sarah Mackenzie, detailing the main points of what happened at Manderlee. Of course the Agency gave reports leaving out the major details. It was clear she was here to see him and to get those major details. She wanted him to fill in the gaps. He pushed the papers aside and gave a fake smile, "You know I can't talk about that..."

"It's been ten years!" she pushed and gave him the best sorrowful expression she could give. "Please, don't let their memory be washed away on some CIA technicality. Tell me what happened."

His face suddenly dropped and he folded his hands. He knew he was about to spill everything and he couldn't tell if the alcohol was doing it or if the guilt was finally becoming too overbearing. He coughed and started, "Before Harm and Sarah discovered where I had been hiding, they thought I was dead..."

"I know that part already," Mattie interrupted rudely.

"But you don't know everything about it!" he roared with frustration and grief. She quieted down, not knowing this was going to be so hard for him. He calmed down and continued, "I was on a mission and I had been caught. I faked my death and hid. I never contacted Sarah and I'm sure she despised me for it. Tanveer, an old acquaintance had contacted her, claiming I was alive. Of course, she bit on that information immediately and searched for me."

"How did they know how to find you?" Mattie inquired, this time not as rudely.

"Eventually, Harm found out about my hiding place, Manderlee," Clay sighed. "Jennifer tipped him off after reciting a poem from a book. I tell ya, nothing got by Harm. He was smart."

"Jenn knew?" Mattie asked, slightly alarmed.

"No, she didn't," Clay corrected her and leaned back in the chair. "From what Bud told me at the time, Harm had asked her to look something up on a killer named The Hawk. Somehow, the conversation escalated from there and Harm figured it out. He went to Mac and Tanveer about the information and that's when they arrived at the house." Clay paused and stood, knowing he was getting to the most difficult part of the story. He looked out the window and finished, "To make a long story short, there was a struggle. Tanveer had lied, saying he worked for MI-6 when in actuality he was working for the people I was hiding from. Shots were fired and..."

"They died?" Mattie filled the obvious fact in meekly. She pulled herself together and told him, "I read most of what you've told me in the reports. However, there just seems to be no explanation as to what caused Tanveer to freak out..."

"It was me," Clay said stiffly and leaned on his window sill. "I was...I was so stupid."

"What do you mean?" Mattie asked, starting to sound very agitated. "What did you do?"

"No one will ever understand. I had been out there for so long," he recalled, a slight whimper in his voice. "Hiding and plotting. Fearful for my life and always worrying about Sarah...I lost my head. Simon was so pissed that I couldn't shut up and just started to fire...he just started firing...He shot her first...then...I yelled..."

"So wait, you're telling me you started it?" Mattie stood up and pointed at him accusingly.

"Mattie," he turned around, looking anguished and alone. "I didn't know Simon would be such a loose canon...I thought we could negotiate."

"Whatever," she said, not able to find any other words. She picked up the folders and got her things together. He walked over to her, trying to make her understand, but she slapped him instead. He stepped back at the sting and she said as calmly as possible, "Your impatience killed the only man who I ever thought as my real father. I'm sorry, but if you're looking for forgiveness, you're asking the wrong person."

_**October 24, 2014**_

The memory faded from her mind as she finally reentered the real world. The three of them had started talking and Jason asked her, "Are you okay, Mattie?"

"I'm fine," she replied rigidly and still focused her attention somewhere else other than Clay. Jennifer could see the tension mounting at the table and that's when she remembered Mattie's encounter with Clay. That conversation led up to buying the house, but right now, both of them in the same room just wasn't working right now.

"Mattie, why don't you go upstairs," she suggested. "Finish that paper you've been working on, okay?"

Mattie didn't need any further hints to leave as she slowly rose from the table and left the kitchen.

Clay watched her leave and sighed deeply, "She's still angry with me?"

"I think quite a few people are still angry with you, Clay," Jenn stated the obvious. "What happened here will never be forgotten, it's just some people have a harder time moving on."

Clay contemplated her answer and stared down at the table. He recited, "If you have made mistakes, even serious ones, there is always another chance for you. What we call failure is not the falling down, but the staying down.–Mary Pickford." He chuckled and asked them, "You know why that's strange?"

"No," Jason replied and Jenn sat down and pushed more coffee towards Clay.

The CIA agent took the mug and sipped, "She says, there's always another chance for you after making a mistake. However, the casualties of those mistakes...they don't get a second chance, now do they?" His voice trailed off and the guiltiness of his actions washed over his face again. He breathed in deeply and apologized, "I'm sorry I even came. I thought maybe I could talk to Mattie, but it's obvious she wants nothing to do with me."

While Jenn tried to convince Clay it was okay for him to stay, Mac hovered in the corner watching. Was she going to let her opportunity at talking to Clay slip away? She felt the touch of Harm's hand on her shoulder and he whispered, "You should talk to him."

"What?" she said surprised and looked at him bewildered by his comment. "Harm, if I do that, you know what could happen, right? You would be here alone with Simon."

He smiled sadly and confessed, "I've reconnected with Mattie in ways I couldn't imagine and it's only a matter of time before she forgives me for abandoning her. Plus, now Clay is here. This is what we've always wanted, isn't it? To bring closure to what has haunted us all this time?"

Mac nodded, not quite sure it was what she wanted anymore. A small part of her was nagging her, telling her it wasn't right. She looked at him and asked timidly, "Is that what you want?"

"I had a feeling you would ask that," he said. He looked away because he was still unprepared to answer. He had to admit, he was apprehensive to move on and to finally "rest in peace". If that happened, he would finally be dead. He didn't exist physically now and if he finally brought a close to his issue with Mattie, he wouldn't exist as a ghost either. He reluctantly nodded and said, "It's what I want, but only if that's what you want too."

"I had a feeling you would say that," Mac chuckled uneasily and folded her arms. She noticed Jenn had convinced Clay to stay for dinner, despite Mattie wasn't talking to him. It was the least she could do for him since he came out all this way. He looked appreciative of the offer and was heading into the family room to rest on the couch. Mac returned her attention to Harm and asked, "How do I talk to him?"

"I have a way, I think," Harm pondered out loud, then led Mac outside to the porch. He pointed up to the blue sky where they could spy a very faint moon. He explained, "I think the moonlight makes us visible to the human eye."

"How do you know?" Mac asked, very interested.

"Mattie said she saw me fighting with Simon right out here," Harm recalled. "This area is so clear, nothing was blocking the moonlight. I think that's how she saw us."

"So, I should stand in direct moonlight? So he can see me?" Mac asked excitedly and Harm nodded. She thought this over, then added despairingly, "He still won't hear me."

"No, but if he can see you, he'll know that you're really there," Harm shrugged, then turned away. "Like I said, I'm not sure if that's how it works, but it's worth a try."

"It won't work," Simon said threateningly, as he approached them. They backed up but he rose his hand in surrender, "I'm not here to fight. You gave me quite a bruise last time, Harm. You hurt my pride."

"Good," Harm scowled at him with angry eyes.

Simon shoved his hands in his pocket and repeated, "Anyway, that won't work."

"What won't work?" Mac asked.

"Reconciling with Clay and Mattie!" he laughed at them as if they were utterly brainless. "Forgiving me is the only way."

"We think you're wrong," Harm objected and continued to glare at his killer.

"C'mon now, admit it. You've thought about how much sense it makes," Simon teased them, floating closer to them. "I'm sick of trying to scare it out of you, but I'll never stop asking for your forgiveness. You will see one day, that forgiving me will set us all free."

Harm and Mac were going to argue with Simon, but jumped when they heard a horrible yell. They whirled around and saw Clay with a ghostly white face, pointing at them! "Oh my God! Do you see them??? Do you see them???"

Jenn rushed out and grabbed Clay's wild arm, trying to calm him, "See what?"

"Harm and Mac!" he yelled in exasperation and surprise. "Don't you see them? Oh my...! They've come back to kill me! I knew I shouldn't have come..."

His eyes were wild and his face so distorted and confused. The two ghosts just stared on in shock at their old friend. How could Clay see them? What was so much different about right now as opposed to before? And if Clay could see them, why couldn't Jenn? It was quite obvious she didn't know they were right in front of her. While Harm turned around to find Simon had disappeared again, Mac got up some nerve and spoke, "Clay? Can you hear me?"

He slowly calmed down at the sound of her distant voice and looked straight at her. He shook some, trying to tell himself it was a hallucination...just like ones he had before. Another part told him this was different. She was real. They both were real. He gulped and cried at Jenn, "Can't you see her? She's...talking to me...She's going to hurt me..."

He slowly slid down Jenn, trying to grasp her and to keep from falling. Jenn on the other hand, was just trying not to fall down herself. Once he was comfortably on the ground, he sobbed into her leg and Jason ran out with several bottles.

"I got these from his coat pockets," Jason mumbled. "Uh...this is for his depression...I think. This is for..."

"Jason, just find the one for psychotic episodes!" Jenn snapped at him, not needing to know what every bottle did. He shut up quickly and kept searching for the right one. Jenn looked out but couldn't see what Clay was seeing. She wanted to call out and ask for a signal that Harm and Mac were really there, but that course of action might confuse Clay even more.

"Harm, there's something wrong with him," Mac said worried, never remembering Clay like this. "Pills for depression and psychotic episodes?"

"He's sick, Mac," Harm said gravely.

"Do I go to him?" Mac asked, more worried now then she was a second ago and very confused as to what was happening. "Will that scare him even more?"

Before Harm could answer, Clay mumbled, "I can hear you...I'm sorry for what happened. Are you listening? Don't go..."

Mac was in full emotional drive now as she went over to him without thinking and said desperately, "I'm listening, Clay! I'm not leaving." She watched as she saw a glazed look in his eyes and she looked away. He had been drinking, long before he arrived here. She looked at him again and he coughed before giving her an inquisitive stare, "Do you forgive me for leaving you?"

"Clay, you hurt me," Mac told him and attempted to grab his hand. It didn't work, but he saw the gesture and smiled at her. She adverted her eyes away from his and finished, "I can't forgive you for that. Not even now."

"I'm still sorry and I love you, Sarah. I always have," he choked on his words, trying to suppress another cough.

"I know you have, Clay," Mac replied sympathetically. Harm showed concern for Clay, but forgot about their other audience. He looked over at Jenn, who had let go of Clay by now, just watching him in awe. Jason too, looked on at the strange scene. It appeared that Clay was talking to Mac, but they couldn't see her. All they could see was a depressed man, lying on the porch, talking to the sky.

His gargled speech and shiny eyes showing signs of an impending hangover. It wasn't the first time Clay had pulled a stunt like this and it probably wouldn't be the last. A long time ago, everyone who knew Clay all agreed his drinking needed to be under control and ultimately stopped. At some point, Clay ignored their pleas for him to stop and continued to make an ass of himself.

Simon leaned down next to both Mac and Clay and asked her, "You do know why he can see you, don't you darling?"

Harm immediately rushed over to put a space between Simon and Mac. Simon just laughed at his overprotective nature and finished, "Because he is dying, love! He is dying and making his passage to the other side!"

"What?" Harm and Mac exclaimed at the same time.

"How do I know this?" Simon asked for them. "When his mother killed me all those years ago and I dropped to the ground, all of a sudden, I could see your pathetic souls hugging each other in remorse of your own deaths. I was so ashamed of being killed in front of you, I hid before you could see me. Don't you understand? Only the dead can see the dead!"

"Simon, you bastard," Clay muttered and began to drift away. Jenn looked down at Clay and finally realized this was more than just a hangover. She began to panic and ordered Jason to call 911. He argued it would be too late and they should drive him instead. Clay interrupted them and said, "No, it's too late. I knew I was dying...that's why I came here. I want to die here..."

"Clay, let them help you," Mac insisted as he looked at her.

"C'mon, Webb. Don't be stupid," Harm said right along with Mac. "Trust me, this whole being dead thing isn't all it's cracked up to be."

"They can't help me, Sarah," he said, his eyes closing. "I'm already gone..."

"Mr. Webb?" Jason called and knelt down, checking for a pulse. He kept his fingers there, trying to feel something, but there was nothing there. He hung his head and said sadly, "He's gone."

"Gone? He can't be gone," Mac stammered and then saw him. Clay's spirit rose up from his body and sat on the porch. He blinked his eyes tiredly and stretched. Mac stared at him curiously. He was different from them. More vibrant and whole. He stood up and looked out ahead at nothing in particular. She rose with him and whispered,"Clay?"

Harm also stepped over next to Clay and waved his hand in front of his face to get his attention. "Hey, Webb!"

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Clay smiled brightly and began to walk away.

"Clay, wait! Don't go!" Mac called after him.

Clay stopped and then looked at her sadly, "I'm sorry, Sarah, but I'm not the key to your freedom. Your key to eternal rest lies within yourself. I have to go."

"Lies within myself?" Mac repeated, shocked her theory had been blown out of the water. She waited all this time to talk to Clay and now he was the one getting what she wanted? He was getting eternal rest? She stopped him again and asked frustrated, "How long do I have to wait to be at peace? Why is this so simple for you?"

Clay looked at her and rested his hand on her shoulder, "You have been dead for ten years and have suffered through an unimaginable existence. Believe it or not, I was dead too and I too was suffering. The only difference was, I was dead on the inside. So you see, it was never simple for me either."

"You're not making any sense," Harm called out to him, then a wave of harshly, bright light hit them. They both squinted their eyes, for it was nearly blinding them and it forced them to back away. Once they could see again, Clay was walking into the light. He turned to them and waved one last time and said, "You know that I love you, Sarah! That's all that matters!"

Then he was swallowed by the light and was gone forever. Harm blinked his eyes to rid himself of the spots, while Mac blinked tears away. They turned around and saw Jason had shut Clay's eyes for good. Mattie had finally come out of the house and was covering her mouth in surprise at the sudden death of the CIA agent.

A few hours passed by and the coroner took Clay away. They would later learn Clayton Webb died of alcohol poisoning and other health complications further complicated by the alcohol. His doctor said, with his drinking habits and other problems, his death had been a long time coming.

He was 53 years old.

To be continued...


	7. Mischief Night

Disclaimer: JAG is the property of Donald P. Bellisario, Paramount Pictures, CBS Television and Belisarius Productions. I hope I spelled all of that stuff right.

"Unfinished Business"

by e-dog

**Chapter Seven: Mischief Night**

_**10:43 am**_

_**Manderlee**_

_**October 30, 2014**_

Mattie pulled out her Halloween costume and grinned. She was going to be a big, fluffy grey cat. She had make-up so she could draw on whiskers and black up her nose. She couldn't wait until the party tonight so she could put it on. Another reason she couldn't wait for the party was because that signaled the arrival of Little AJ Roberts. So far, Mattie had been successful in communicating with Harm and Mac, but she wanted more than pencil and paper as their only means of conversing. She was able to speak with AJ a week ago about her dilemma and he promised he would try and research ways to help her. Mattie had been so close to seeing Harm that night Simon attacked Jason, so she knew it was possible.

She felt a chill in her room and froze for a moment. She wasn't necessarily scared anymore, just worried. After Clay literally dropped dead on their porch, she hadn't heard from either Harm nor Mac. Hopefully, that strange chill meant one of them was in the room. That's when she remembered something.

She fished in a store bag for her new dry erase board. It was something new for Harm or Mac to write on when they needed to talk. Mattie didn't always have her computer on and she didn't always have paper handy either. She tacked it to a random place on the wall, then called out, "Harm? Mac? You there?"

She waited for a moment, then sighed, "C'mon guys. You haven't written anything to anyone in nearly five days. Are you okay?"

It was times like these Mattie wondered if Harm kept silent to irk her. To purposely make her think she had been hallucinating all this time and that their ghosts were just her imagination. Then she saw the marker lift up and the cap snap off. His scribble covered the board and wrote:

**Sorry, Mattie. Mac's been taking Clay's death pretty hard.**

Mattie thought about that, then added, "Well, that explains what her problem is, but what about you? I doubt Clay is on your mind too..."

Harm stood there, holding the marker somewhat loosely. He was thinking about what to say, then wrote:

**Actually, he is on my mind. **

Mattie frowned in confusion, not knowing Harm cared that deeply for Clay. She was aware that they were "friends", but not so close that Harm would lose sleep over the guy. Harm saw her confusion and tried to elaborate. He erased his previous messages and wrote: **Clay's death was a shock because he was able to move on, while she remained a ghost. We thought if Mac and Clay talked again, it would bring closure. **

Mattie looked even more bewildered and asked, "He's not a ghost like you?"

Harm sadly wrote: **No. He's not. Look, I'm going to find Mac. We'll talk soon. **

Harm placed the marker down on the night stand before he reluctantly floated out of the bedroom. He knew Mattie was concerned, but there was absolutely nothing she could do to help, so there was no need to drag her into their problems any further. He left her room behind him, floating down the stairs and ducking to miss the numerous strands of fake cobwebs and Halloween decorations. Jenn was really going all out...and hurting Jason's wallet buying all the food, Halloween theme napkins and plates, a string of pumpkin lights and loads of candy. And now the house was covered in all these cobweb things. Harm paused and looked around. The house looked more ridiculous then it did spooky.

He found Mac sitting at the table, stringing popcorn. It surprised him he could find her so easily. Ever since Clay left this world, Harm had to search high and low for hours before he could ever find out where she was hiding. Maybe she was ready to talk to him now, so he floated over and asked, "Did Jenn want you to do that?"

She looked up startled, obviously unaware of his presence. She gave a weak grin and admitted while holding up the string, "No. I thought I would surprise her before she came back from the store."

"She went to the store again? Doesn't she have enough...stuff?" Harm laughed, waving his hands around and pointing at all the decorations. Mac laughed in agreement and he took a seat at the table next to her, finding it was safe to approach her. He gently took the string of popcorn from her hands and forced her to look at him. "I'm worried about you."

"You shouldn't be," she told him, trying to stay indifferent. Trying to look as if she were truly okay. She knew she was doing a horrible job because Harm wouldn't stop staring at her.

He gazed at her with soft, thoughtful eyes. A baffled smile tugged at his lips as he corrected her, "No, Mac. I should be worried. If I didn't worry about you, than what kind of friend would I be?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way," she said slowly and pushed stray strands of her hair behind her ears.

Harm took this as an opportunity to get back at her and repeated, "Well, you said and you meant it. You can't take it back."

She paused, recognizing the words as her own. It was what she had told him on the beach the day Harm scared Jason by starting the car. She just nodding acknowledging his comment. "Okay, let's just end this now. I'm sorry I yelled at you for scaring Jason."

"And I'm sorry for what I said. About you being joined to my hip for all eternity," he apologized as well and added, "So we're okay?"

"We're okay," she nodded, looking relieved that day was finally behind them. She then looked at him and said, "I appreciate that you care. But I'm okay now. You can stop worrying."

"I highly doubt your okay, Jarhead," he chuckled while she gave him a perplexed look. He returned the look and asked, "What?"

"You called me, Jarhead," she shrugged, looking somewhat amused now. "It's just...you haven't called me that in years."

He nodded in agreement and confirmed, "You're right. I haven't...if you don't want me to..."

"No, you can call me that," she nodded, approving of the revived nickname. "Brings back good memories. It's good to feel good again."

That friendly, strong smile of his finally spread across his face in full force as he gently rubbed her shoulder in reassurance. There was just something about that expression that she couldn't help but smile back at him. For that long moment, everything was alright. It was just Harm and Mac, sitting at the table, grinning goofily at each other and the rest of the world was moving on without them. Then just as quickly as he could make everything better, he ruined it. He removed his hand from her shoulder and asked, "You know I have to ask this, so don't get mad...Are you really okay with what happened with Webb?"

She sighed. Moments of perfect euphoria have to come to an end sometime. She looked at him and gave the most convincing response she could muster, "I'm really okay."

"Just to let you know, it scared me too," he pointed out, to which she nodded in understanding. Still not convinced he continued, "The fact that Webb wasn't your ticket to peace has made me second guess my thoughts about Mattie. Now I get the feeling that we're..."

"Missing the bigger picture?" she finished for him.

He nodded with a smile and playfully threatened, "Stop finishing my sentences."

"Stop starting mine," she smiled, finishing the cliche. They laughed, trying to concentrate on finishing the strings, but the issue at hand still hung in the air. She took on a more serious tone again and commented, "If Webb wasn't my 'unfinished business', then what am I missing?"

"He told you, the answer lies within yourself," Harm shrugged, stringing more popcorn. "You just have to figure out what _that_ is."

"I guess," she sighed and started a new string of popcorn. They sat in silence for several minutes, stringing the popcorn and pondering what could possibly be keeping them in this meaningless existence. Then a possibility entered Mac's mind that made her cringe. She reluctantly suggested to him, "What if Simon is right?"

"About forgiving him?" Harm looked up, surprised Mac would even suggest it. He shook his head no, refusing to believe that was the truth. "No way, Mac. He's just looking for a way out. He could care less about our eternal peace."

"Okay, then talk to Mattie," Mac told him. "Ask her if she hates you for abandoning her."

"What? Mac! No!" Harm immediately refused. "If that works, than I leave you behind..."

"Harm, don't make me your excuse to have what you've always wanted," she said quietly, starting to look somewhat guilty. "When Clay died, I tried to reconcile with him. And even though you suggested I talk to him, what if it had worked? Than I could've left you behind..."

It finally dawned on Harm what was really bothering Mac. It wasn't Clay dying or the fact that she never crossed over. She felt guilty for even considering leaving him here, as a ghost, by himself. He leaned forward and said softly, "Mac, you and I both know you gave it a lot of thought. If I were in your position, I would've gone too."

"Really?" she asked skeptical, but feeling slightly better Harm wasn't angry with her.

He paused, then admitted reluctantly, "Actually...no."

"You always know what to say to make me feel _so_ much better," she sighed heavily and tried to say it with sarcasm. However, her attempt fell flat and she put down her finished popcorn string.

"You didn't let me finish," Harm pushed and continued. "Even though reconciliation with Mattie is something I've always wanted...

Before he could say another word, some ruckus at the front door stopped his efforts. Within seconds, Harm watched Jenn rush in with more bags and was setting them on the kitchen island. Harm returned his attention to Mac to finish, but she was gone. He rose from the table and decided to head out to the beach. Mac wanted space and now he wanted some alone time too.

He left just as Jenn turned around to call Jason. She than spotted the finished popcorn strings on the table. Mattie bounded in, looking for food and started searching the new grocery bags.

"Mattie?" Jenn asked and lifted up the strings. "Did you do this?"

"I've been asleep all morning..." she replied, not paying attention and opened a bag of cookies.

"Oh," Jenn said quietly and looked around, wondering if Harm and Mac were around. If Mattie was asleep and they were gone all morning...one of them had to do it. She shivered at the thought of ghosts again and tried to tell herself it was okay. They were good ghosts. They were Harm and Mac. Nothing to worry about.

"Mattie!" Jason snatched the bag of cookies away and looked very annoyed. Shopping with Jenn just wasn't his favorite activity and all he wanted now was to sleep. He closed up the bag and continued to scold, "I bought these for the party...not just for you."

"But I'll be at the party, so I'll eat them anyway!" she argued, but gave up rather easily as Jason glared at her really hard. She cautiously walked by him and mumbled, "I guess someone crossed paths with a black cat today....sheesh..."

Jason grabbed at his hair and said to himself, "Why did I think living in a house with two other women was a good idea?"

He started unpacking more groceries and yelped in pain when Jenn smacked the back of his head. He whined as she smiled sweetly and reminded him, "You are married to one of those women, remember?"

"I also forgot she has amazing hearing," he joked and rubbed the back of his head.

_**6:30 p.m.**_

_**Manderlee**_

_**October 30, 2014**_

Harm lost track of time and when he arrived back at the house, numerous cars had already littered the front yard and driveway. The party had started without him. He could hear all the noise and wished he wasn't just going to observe. He entered the house and immediately came face to face with a large Pooh Bear...With Former Gunnery Sgt. Victor Galindez's head sticking out the front. Harm stifled a laugh at the sight of his old friend, covered in bright yellow, a little red shirt and carrying a fake jar of honey. Mac approached with the hugest grin and explained, "He lost a bet to Jason. The loser had to dress up as Pooh Bear while the winner was able to wear whatever costume he chose."

"Oh," Harm laughed harder as Gunny walked past them, looking very embarrassed/disappointed. Harm shook his head and exclaimed, "I can't believe those two are still competing!"

"Some things never change," Mac commented, as she tugged on his arm to follow her. "C'mon, you should see who else is here."

They walked past Jason who was calling out to Gunny, "Hey, Gunny! Harriet was making some tea and was wondering where all the honey went!"

The crowd laughed and Gunny put on a mock face of anger and pointed at Jason, "I'm going to kill you Tiner! You think you're so funny!"

Jason (who had dressed as a mobster from Goodfellas), pulled his fake gun out and threatened, "You think I'm funny? Funny how?"

More people laughed at his bad impression of Joe Pesci's character and the two ghosts couldn't help but laugh right along with them. After that display was over, Mac led Harm into the family room, where the couch had been pushed out of the way making the floor much more spacious. Harm stared on in a daze, as he saw old faces and new. Granted, most of them had on make-up, but he could still make out who they were. He pointed as he laughed, "It's Chegwidden! He's dressed as one of the Boston Red Sox!"

"Yeah, I asked Mattie about that," Mac grinned. "Apparently, they beat that 80 year old curse and won the World Series about a month after we died. They've been a hard team to beat ever since."

"You're kidding?" Harm said, looking very unbelieving of the whole idea. He didn't follow too many sports, but he knew the Sox hadn't won a championship in quite a long time. Harm folded his arms across his chest and whistled, "Our old boss is showing his age."

"He sure is," Mac agreed as they viewed the hunched form of their lanky CO. It seemed that smile he had plastered on his face at his retirement was still there though. And his voice hadn't changed. They listened to him speak, his hands doing a lot of the talking. If he barked an order right now, they both would stand to attention and pray for their lives. They shifted their eyes and found another familiar face. "Look, it's Sturgis and Varise!"

"Well, if their still together after all this time, they must be married," Harm concluded, viewing their Halloween costumes. Sturgis, not being very creative, was an old Western Cowboy. He had on a ridiculously large ten gallon hat on his head and shiny star on his chest. He had either grown a mustache or was wearing a fake one, they couldn't tell. It was really too dark to make out the details. He also wore a belt that had a holster on the side and a fake gun resting in it. Varise on the other hand dressed as an Egyptian Queen. The dark make-up accented her eyes, making them look very narrow and long. Her dress was gold and blue and she wore a small headdress. It was obvious more planning went into her costume.

A large, grey cat bounded by them followed by a vampire. Harm knew the cat was Mattie and eventually discovered the vampire was Little AJ. Jimmy was hot on their tails, dressed as...you guessed it. Captain James T. Kirk of the starship Enterprise and he didn't look overly thrilled to be wearing it. Somehow, Harm figured that Bud convinced his son to wear the costume. Jimmy's hair was even combed in the same way. Simultaneously Harm and Mac muttered, "Poor Jimmy..."

They looked at each other and laughed. Judging by the costumes, decorations, food and good company, tonight was already proving to be very interesting. Little did they know just how interesting the night would turn out...

_**10:30 pm**_

_**October 30, 2014**_

The "Monster Mash" played on the stereo and there was still so much food left, people couldn't help but try to put a dent in it. As much as Mattie wanted to stuff her face, it was time to get down to business. It was after all, Mischief Night. She had a feeling her antics with Little AJ would draw some attention, so she would do her best to keep them as private as possible. The vampire she was looking for stood at the punch bowl, his long, black and red cape wrapped around him and his spiky, dark hair sticking straight up. He had dyed his hair black, much to the dismay of his mother.

"AJ," she called and he immediately turned around grinning his bloody, pointy teeth at her. She knew it would be good to call him AJ and not Little AJ. She wanted him to know she was taking him seriously.

He grinned his pointy teeth at her and asked excitedly, "Is it time?"

"Yeah, c'mon, we'll go out back. Where I saw them fighting," she suggested as they wove their way through the party goers. Unbeknownst to them, they brushed by Harm who had been watching the poker match between his old buddies, Gunny, Sturgis, AJ and Bud. So far, AJ was having the upper hand...probably because he used to be the boss of everyone at the table. At one point, Bud (who had dressed as a werewolf) folded even though he could have clearly beaten everyone at the table. Harm watched the two younger people leave the room and nobody noticed but him. Suddenly,Mattie and Little AJseemed more interesting then this one-sided poker game and he followed them out.

"Right here?" AJ asked, standing in the exact same spot Harm and Simon fought nearly a month ago.

"Yep, right there. That's where I saw them," Mattie confirmed, taking off her cat mask and setting it on the porch. She didn't need to be in costume for this. "There's something else too. I never told Harm this, but when I was watching them, he told me to get inside."

Little AJ stared at her in disbelief and removed his pointy vampire teeth in surprise. He gasped and repeated, "You could hear him say, Get inside?"

She nodded and watched as his face illuminated with excitement. He jumped up and down, did some weird dance and ran up to her and exclaimed, "Mattie! You're a medium!"

"A what?" she asked, stepping backwards in surprise at his enthusiasm. "What's a medium?"

"You don't know?" he looked at her like she had two heads.

"No, I'm not a paranormal-ologist," she scoffed.

Little AJ rolled his eyes and said, "You're not a Parapsychologist. Parapsychology is real, just so you know." He stepped away from her, back to the designated spot and pointed at it, "If you saw and heard Harm right here, it means you can really contact the dead. You're a medium. An individual who can 'see', 'hear', and 'communicate' with the dead. Wow, this is great."

"Freaky," Mattie mumbled, unaware of this ability she had. Then another question arose, "If I can do that, why can't I do it all the time?"

"Well, that I don't know," Little AJ shrugged, which received a look of disappointment from Mattie.

"You don't know? You're supposed to be an expert on this!" Mattie pointed at him and he held up his hands in defense.

"Wait! There are just some things that can't be explained!" he told her. "I can give you definitions, I can tell the difference between this and that. I can even find different tools to contact the dead, but I can't explain the connection between a medium and other ghosts! That is just something completely beyond human comprehension!"

"Well, that helps me a lot, thanks," Mattie huffed, throughly disappointed but knew Little AJ could help her no more. Her ears perked up however when she heard an eerie tune. Harm who had been watching, could hear it too and he immediately recognized it.

"But the swagman, he up and he jumped in the waterhole...," sang the dark ghost from a distance. The voice was chilling and uninviting. Harm hugged himself, not ready for another fight with Simon. The last quarrel really drained him. He wasn't sure he could protect Mattie this time around.

Mattie looked around frightened and pulled on Little AJ's arm. "We should go inside..."

"Why?" AJ asked as they rushed back to the house. "Is it a ghost? What is it Mattie?"

"Not so fast, love!" Simon stood in front of her suddenly, blocking her path. He watched in amusement as she dropped her jaw in shock. She could see him. His entire form. His worn out suit and shoes, his scruffy hair. The blood stains on his dress shirt that never washed away. And then that dark look in his eyes.

He smiled wickedly at her and asked, "Don't you want to know the secret?"

"What secret?" Mattie asked, but Little AJ had no idea what was she was talking about or who she was seeing. He hid behind her, his eyes searching for whatever was out there with them. He had always had a little doubt that ghosts existed...that was until Mattie mentioned Aunty Mac. Now this...if this was a joke on her part...he would kill her.

"The secret behind why you can see me," he told her and moved closer to her, forcing her and Little AJ to back up. "Don't you want to know?"

"Simon!" Harm warned as he floated towards them. "I told you to leave them alone."

"Here we go," Simon mumbled to himself and rolled his eyes. He whirled around to face Harm and said, "I told you unless you forgive me, there could be some accidents."

"You're either my friend or my enemy," Harm narrowed his eyes. "Make up your mind."

"Mattie!" AJ whispered harshly, shaking her. "Do you see them? Do you see Harm and Mac?"

"I see Harm," Mattie confirmed, but left out the fact she could see Simon too. She couldn't tell if it was her imagination, but Simon seemed to be darkening. Becoming more solid, his face expressing more anger and frustration.

Simon disappeared for whatever reason and Harm quickly flew up to her and asked, "You're okay?"

"Yeah, I guess...," she squeaked. Than Simon returned with the reason why he disappeared. He was holding a rope he found in the shed. Before Harm could stop him, he quickly bumpedhim out of the way. Harm's ghostly form was pushed backwards so hard, he flew through the windshield of a park car, landing in the backseat.

Simon laughed wickedly and then rapidly flew around behind Mattie. He whipped Little AJ with the rope to make him back away. The young boy whimpered in pain, holding his arm. He was also terrified, unaware of where the attack had come from. Simon than finally wrapped the rope around Mattie's neck and pulled. She gasped for air and pulled at the rope trying to free herself.

"Simon!" Harm bellowed, after making it out of the car. He made his way towards the dark ghost.

"Any closer, Harmon and I hang her by her neck!" Simon threatened.

Little AJ stood there shocked at first, watching the rope tighten around Mattie's neck. He then quickly scampered back to the house and yelled, "Help! Mom! Dad! Someone help!"

"Please Simon," Harm begged and Mac flew out of the house wondering what was wrong. She spotted Simon and Mattie and gasped. Harm was holding out his hand towards Mattie, wanting to help. "Simon, let her go!"

"Forgive me!" he howled at them, tightening the rope. Mattie was beginning to give up. Her eyes were rolling up and her movements slowing.

"Harm...," Mac warned him, letting him know this was no time to be stubborn. "We're going to lose her!"

"Alright, Simon! I forgive you!" Harm cried out, his lips quivering at the thought of her dying. She didn't deserve that. She deserved to live on and fulfill her dreams.

"I forgive you too," Mac added reluctantly, but with conviction. She knew she was doing this to save Mattie's life, but a small part of her still didn't want to say it. They were forgiving him for the unforgivable act that he committed ten years ago and no matter the circumstances it would never sit right with them.

"You forgive me for what?" Simon pushed, not relinquishing his hold.

"I forgive you for our murders. I forgive you, Simon Tanveer," Harm repeated and put on a face of relief as he finally released Mattie. She collapsed into a heap on the ground. Both Harm and Mac rushed over to her to make sure she was okay, just as Little AJ ran out with an entourage of people behind him.

"Mattie?" Jenn called out and ran up to her, lifting up her head. Her eyes had closed now and Jenn checked for a pulse. She sighed deeply and looked up, "She's breathing. AJ, what happened out here?"

"I don't think you would believe me if I told you," the young man said as he knelt down next to Mattie as well.

"Try me," Jenn said as she noticed Mattie was coming to. "Mattie? Are you okay?"

She mumble something incoherently, but then saw Harm and Mac kneeling down next to her as well. She gave them inquisitive stares as she saw a weird light around them. They began to show confusion, wondering what she was looking at. "Guys? What's going on? Why are you glowing?"

Harm and Mac looked at each other and couldn't see this glow that she was describing. Then they turned around and found the real source of the light. It was Simon standing next to a similar portal Clay had walked through only a week ago. However, Harm knew it wasn't for them. That light was meant for Simon alone. He had lied. Their forgiving him only brought closure for him. Mac looked at Ham sadly, also realizing that Simon had lied to them.

"What the hell?" Simon yelled. "Get away from me! Help me!"

Harm's eyes widened as the bright portal suddenly turned dark, lightning flashed within it and for the first time in a long time, he could feel warmth. An insane heat was waving off of it, smacking them in the face. Making it's presence know. Mac whispered, "Do you feel that?"

"Yeah, I do," Harm replied, watching as the dark hole began to engulf Simon. Then the screaming started. Simon was in pain and his wails sent off vibes of anguish. He screamed as if he were literally burning to death. He was dying all over again. Harm turned away and hugged Mac to block her vision at what was happening. He didn't want to watch anymore and mumbled, "Oh God..."

Meanwhile, Jenn and Bud had managed to lift Mattie up off the ground, carrying her back to the house. Most of the party guests, seeing that the young girl was okay had started to slowly filter back inside. When Mattie could hear the screams, she loosened herself from their grip and turned around to see what was happening. Harm and Mac were huddled together on the ground, leaning away from the dark hole. Simon was desperately trying to get out of it.

"Whoa," Mattie whispered just as the hole completely took him away. The dust settled and the air suddenly became refreshingly cool. The cool air washed over everyone and Bud commented, "Wow, do you feel that breeze?"

Mattie felt a tug on her arm. It was Jenn, pleading with her to get inside so they could check out the bruises on her neck. Mattie nodded and stole one last look at Harm and Mac, still sitting on the ground. Then, a cloud drifted in the sky, covering the moonlight...and their forms disappeared. Mattie finally turned to Jenn and croaked, "I just want to lay down now."

"Okay," Jenn complied and hugged her around her shoulders. She wasn't sure what had happened exactly, but she knew one thing. Someone or something attacked Mattie and now this party was officially over. It was time for everyone to go home.

To be continued...


	8. Declaring What We Really Want

Disclaimer: JAG is the property of Donald P. Bellisario, Paramount Pictures, CBS Television and Belisarius Productions. I hope I spelled all of that stuff right.

Author's Notes: Phew! Sorry for the wait, I never intended to wait this long to post the rest of this story. First was down and I couldn't update, then when I could, my computer underwent some virusthingy that slowed down the entire system. I could barely instant message people. Needless to say, the story was finished and I couldn't access it until now. The computer now works and I can now post the rest! I will not drag this out any longer and will post both Chapter 8 and 9 together. I wanted to finish this before Thanksgiving and I'm cutting it close! Lastly, thank you to everyone who reviewed this story and saw it through! You rock! I'm hoping you'll enjoy theend ofthis story!

"Unfinished Business"

by e-dog

**Chapter Eight: Declaring What We Really Want**

_**11:55 pm**_

_**Manderlee**_

_**October 30, 2014**_

Everyone understood why Jenn ended the party prematurely. Mattie was injured. What they didn't quite understand was who or what hurt Mattie in the first place. Of course, out of curiosity and concern, they asked what was wrong but Jenn and Jason remained pretty tightlipped about the whole thing and Mattie had retreated to her room so no one could ask her. Even Little AJ, who had witnessed the incident, couldn't quite find the words. He simply said, "She fell."

When asked of his rope burn he couldn't explain that one either.

The house was pretty messy with old plates, napkins, random pieces of chips and pretzels on the floors. Jason was going around with a huge trash bag gathering everything. He spotted Jenn packing up food that could be saved and he huffed loudly. She looked at him and asked, "You okay?"

"No. We looked like idiots tonight, Jenn," Jason rattled off. "We know about Harm and Mac, but no one else does. What happened tonight, couldn't be explained!"

"Jason...," Jenn sighed and walked over to him. "We can't worry about that now, okay? Let them think we're weird."

"I know, I know," he mumbled and tied up the full bag of trash. He sat down on the couch and rubbed his tired eyes. "It's just hard not being able to tell them, without them thinking we're nuts. Everyone was so worried and we couldn't hide the fact that she has bruises!"

Jenn leaned over to him and kissed his shoulder before stating, "What's important now is that Mattie is okay. Little AJ survived his little rope burn and no one else was seriously hurt."

Unfortunately, Jenn was wrong and other people were hurt. Harm and Mac. The two ghosts were standing in the corner of the room, hugging each other. Simon's lie and ultimate demise proved one thing: Forgiving him didn't set them free. They were still ghosts and deep down...that hurt. That hurt a lot. In the last six days, they had watched two ghosts depart this world, finally leaving this pointless existence. And they were still here. Not to mention, now they were becoming a nuisance, forcing the Tiner family to cover up what was really going on this house. They had to cover up the fact that Harm and Mac were still here in spirit...and that a former ghost named Simon Tanveer was the one who attacked Mattie and Little AJ.

Harm rubbed Mac's shoulder and whispered, "We will figure this out."

She looked up at him, her eyes sad, disappointed, angry and frustrated. It amazed him he could read all of that just with one glance. She didn't reply. She only hugged him tighter and he responded by wrapping both arms around her tenderly.

All four of them looked up when a clock struck midnight. It was now officially Halloween. Jenn yawned and suggested to Jason that they go to sleep and finish cleaning up in the morning. He easily complied and they climbed the stairs to rest.

_**9:38 am**_

_**October 31, 2014**_

Mattie rubbed her sore neck as she descended from upstairs to raid the kitchen. All night, she really couldn't sleep. Repeat images of the night before kept invading her dreams and they were relentless. So much had happened. Little AJ told her she was a medium. Simon almost killed her. Then Simon crossed over to what seemed like a very bad place and Harm and Mac looked so forlorn before she saw them disappear. Once her foot hit the last step, she looked around and noticed something immediately. The house was clean. In fact, it was spotless.

She tiptoed her way through the family room, which was entirely neat and tidy. Most of the decorations were left up, but the trash was gone. The food was put away. She entered the kitchen and saw a note on the fridge. She took it off and read it out loud, "We thought that after last night, you shouldn't have to deal with the cleaning up. –Harm and Mac."

Mattie nodded in approval and opened the fridge. She grabbed the milk, poured a glass and said out loud, "Thanks guys."

"You're welcome," Harm responded, absentmindedly.

Mattie spit the milk out forcefully at the sound of his voice and slowly turned around. Harm was floating there next to the pantry door studying something on the floor, but when he saw her spew the milk everywhere, his attention was now on her.

She slowly approached him and called softly, "Harm?"

He looked at her surprised, "You heard me. You can see me?"

"Uh...I guess I can," Mattie nodded, then added. "You're so much clearer now too. Last night, you were kinda blurry..."

"Oh," was all he could manage to say. They stood there, studying each other. Wondering what the next move should be. He folded his arms across his chest and rocked in the air and said, "Sooo, I guess AJ was right. About you being a medium."

"I guess so," she replied and pulled out a chair. "You wanna sit?"

"Sure," he nodded quickly and floated over and rested on the chair. He watched her slow movements as she pulled out the chair for herself. He understood that this was all very strange for her, but it was also strange for him! After all this time...she could see him. She could finally hear him. He wanted to be cautious. He didn't want to make this any more unusual then it already was.

"Wow, I can't believe this," Mattie took a seat next to him and closed her eyes. "How is this possible?"

"Like AJ said, maybe this is just one thing that can't be explained," Harm tried to help, but knew his words were just filler. Despite that fact, he firmly believed that everything happened for a reason. If Mattie could see him now, then there was a reason behind it. He just wondered if he would ever find out why. He decided to start the conversation up again and said, "Mac and I...We have determined that maybe it's our destiny to stay this way."

Mattie looked up and showed concern for Harm. For the first time, she could read his face. Hear his voice. This was so much better than reading his scribble. It was easier to understand him. An excitement started to build inside her. The kind when you're discovering something incredible and can't wait to share it with the world. She gave him a warm smile and said, "You won't be a ghost forever, Harm. You have to move on."

"But why?" he asked her and hunched forward in frustration. "So far, nothing has worked. And besides, I'm beginning to like living with you again."

"If you don't move on, then the people that love you...," Mattie began, trying not to tear up. She wanted nothing more than to hang with Harm again, but they both knew it would never be the same. She forged on and finished, "Then the people that love you will never move on. Not when they know you are still here."

Harm sighed, seeing what his presence had really done to Mattie. At first, she was excited to know they were here...now it was almost like a burden. He looked at her desperately. "All this time, I've been trying to figure it out for myself and everything we thought would work...didn't. I need help, Mattie."

The young woman took on a thoughtful expression. Never had Harm ever pleaded for help before. It was a shock and an insightful look as to who Harmon Rabb, Jr. really was. It was a shame she was getting to know him for the first time after his death. She wondered aloud, "What was Clay's reason for moving on?"

She saw Harm put on a somewhat disgusted face, which made her laugh. He rolled his eyes and said, "He wanted Mac to know that he loved her. That he always did...blah, blah, blah."

Mattie chuckled at that, then added, "Simon also wanted to hear words. He needed to hear you forgive him."

Harm nodded to confirm and asked, "So, what's the connection?"

Mattie tried to formulate the right response and then asked him, "Clay wanted Mac to know he loved her. Simon wanted to hear your forgiveness. I guess what you need to ask yourself is, are you and Mac going after what _you both_ really want? Are there things you two need to say to each other?"

Harm scrunched his forehead in thought and leaned back in the chair. He repeated the questions over in his head, trying to come up with an answer. All this time, he had been trying to find a way to be at peace because he truly believed that's what he wanted. He wanted to never feel thirsty and not be able to drink. He wanted to never feel hungry and not be able to eat. He wanted to sleep for days and days, just to put a dent in the fatigue that plagued him all the time. However, now, he wasn't even sure if he wanted those things anymore. He had lived withoutthem for so long, it was routine now.

"Harm?" Mattie called him, breaking him from his thoughts. "You okay?"

"Yeah, thanks Mattie," he smiled and lifted up from the chair. "Are you okay?"

"Well, I'm talking to a ghost," she smiled. "How do you think I feel?"

"Good point," Harm grinned and went to head outside. "I'm going out to the beach to talk to Mac. You can come join us, if you want."

"Maybe later," Mattie nodded as she watched Harm pass through the glass patio door. She turned back to the table and rubbed her eyes. "I definitely need some coffee now. Or a Valium."

Harm found Mac sitting on the beach and sat down next to her. Something felt eerily similar about today. The way the surf hit the sand. The breeze blowing exceptionally fair. The way they were sitting on the sand even felt familiar. She merely nodded, acknowledging he was there, but she didn't say anything. She continued to look out at the water with a longing stare. Like she wanted to go out there, just to see how far the ocean stretched.

Suddenly, he wished he was out on a carrier, but was surprised to find out he didn't want to fly F-14s. Instead, he pictured himself in some heated debate with Mac over a dereliction of duty case against the CO. She was putting up a good defense, but his case was more solid and she knew it. Even still, she wasn't giving up. She was fighting him on every point and he was loving every minute of it. He blinked his eyes out of the daydream and smiled at the lost courtroom rivalry. He stole a glance at her and felt a weight lift up off of him. He knew what he wanted. In fact, he had know all along, but just didn't see it.

He cleared his throat and asked her, "Remember when I asked you what you wanted? The day we died?"

She looked at him curiously, wondering why he was bringing that up. Finally, she nodded and replied, "Yeah."

"What did you say?" he asked, knowing this line of questioning was confusing her.

"I said...," she paused to try and word it correctly. "I wasn't sure of what I wanted."

"And that you were sick of dissecting relationships," Harm added with a small grin.

"Your point?" she laughed and hit him on the arm.

"Are you sure of what you want now?" he asked seriously and turned to completely face her. "Can you say with all your heart what you really want right now?"

Mac almost put on a face of alarm at the question and leaned back slightly. She put on a look of bewilderment instead and tried to think, but ultimately came up with an answer of, "I don't know."

Harm sighed slightly and grabbed her hand and squeezed it lightly. "Are you sure?"

Mac hesitated, catching the look in his eyes. There was something there she hadn't noticed before. In fact, it amazed her it took her this long to see it. Unconditional love. Or in the case of their relationship, unrequited love. She imagined it had always been there, but now she was witnessing it first hand. She was truly seeing Harmon Rabb, Jr. Her silence was making him uncomfortable, so she got out, "No, I'm not sure."

He gave a weak smile and never broke his eye contact with her. "You know what I want?"

"What?"

"To never lose you," he said, his words echoed of another time and place. "I don't want to lose you."

She smiled softly in return and gave him the same response she did all those years ago, only this time the words held a different meaning, "You will never lose me."

Harm suddenly looked relieved, stood up and pulled her up with him. They ventured out to the surf and then he drew her in for a hug. He breathed in deeply and continued to say, "Mac, I need something from you."

She pulled out of his embrace slightly and nodded for him to continue. He took a minute to gather himself and asked confidently, "I need you to tell me, honestly...if you ever really loved him."

"Clay?" she asked.

"Any of them...Mic...Dalton...Farrow ," he listed.

"Farrow?" Mac cocked an eyebrow at him. She wanted to be honest with him, but Farrow? She shook her head confused and asked, "Why Farrow? Harm, you didn't even know me when I dated him! How could you be jealous then?"

"Jealous?" Harm quickly objected. "I wasn't jealous...I mean...it was more like a what if? scenario..."

"What if?" Mac repeated, now looking amused at Harm's bumbling demeanor.

"Yeah, you know, what if you and Farrow hooked up years later while you worked at JAG," Harm said quickly, trying to make it sound like it was no big deal. He even chuckled uneasily remembering the fortune cookie flashbacks and added, "Just hypothetically speaking..."

"Right," Mac laughed lightly and turned away from him, returning her gaze to the ocean. "If I answer that hypothetical question for you, will you be honest with me?"

"I will," he replied sincerely.

She twiddled her thumbs first, then answered, "At one point, I did love them all. If I didn't, then there would've been no point in risking my career for any of them..."

"Oh," Harm responded quietly, sounding a little let down by the answer. He couldn't expect her to stay single forever, but a piece of him always felt she loved him too. "Thanks for being honest."

"I'm not finished," she smiled at him gently and faced him. "I loved them, but I was never in love with them. I could never give Clay all of me, just as Clay could never give me all of him."

"So, you're a commitment phobic too?" he jested, pretending to be very surprised. Deep down, he felt alleviated of all the stress that question put him under. Maybe _he_ was the reason she could never fully love Clayton Webb.

She laughed at him and playfully returned, "As if you ever compromised anything for a woman?"

He smiled, knowing that was coming. He looked at her and said ambitiously, "I did once. I gave up my career for a woman. At the time, I think she believed that I was trying to play 'hero' and make her look incompetent. However, what she didn't know was this: I did it because I knew if I didn't go after her, I would lose the woman I loved."

"Wow," she released the air she was holding, which really wasn't anything at all considering they didn't need to breathe. "We never really talked about that..."

Harm shook his head in the negative and she put on a face of regret. She walked herself right into this conversation, but had to finish it. Well, as Harm put it ten years ago, they had all the time in the world to straighten things out. Now was a good as time as any. "To be honest, Harm...I think I did know the real reason you came after me."

"Huh?" Harm stepped back, looking a little surprised. He shook his head in bewilderment, "You should've taken me up on my offer and given me an instruction manual on how you operate, because by the way you were acting..."

"You shocked me, Harm," she cut him off. "The Harm I thought I knew...I just didn't think you would do that! I mean, I guess I figured you would beg Chegwidden for some leave or a TAD assignment...but to give up your career for me? Before that point, I thought nothing would surpass your love for the Navy. Nothing."

"Then why was it so hard for you to understand?" Harm sighed and let his arms hang at his side. "Why wasn't that enough?"

"Because I was this close to being tortured. Another man, just like you, put himself in harm's way to protect me! I was confused. Too many things were happening at once," she listed and added, "I thought you would understand that I needed some comfort. The way you just expected me to drop everything and say, You're my hero, disgusted me."

"Mac, that's not what I expected of you," Harm argued, not aware his actions gave off that vibe. He was mostly acting out of line because of her gesture towards Clay. Even still, he did feel cheated. Like his sacrifice meant nothing to her.

"And you say I need an instruction manual," Mac looked down at the sand, half afraid of what was going to be said next and half relieved this was finally being brought up.

"Okay, okay," Harm threw up his hands in surrender. "We obviously have some issues communicating what we really want."

"You think?" she chuckled and her laugh finally broke the tension. He managed to laugh softly right along with her, feeling at ease this conversation resulted in some progress. It was nice to have some insight as to how they were feeling, but Paraguay was nearly 11 years ago. They had changed so much since then, now the incident seemed trivial. Especially considering now, they were dead. Their forced laughter subsided and silence began to ring clear. Now the question was, what now?

After a few minutes had passed, she let a smile cross her face involuntarily and said quietly, "I think I know what are 'unfinished business' really was."

Harm nodded, already knowing the answer as well. It wasn't Mattie, or Webb or Simon. It was never those things and since they were too stubborn to talk about it they used those reasons to avoid it. They used those reasons for so long, they began to believe it. He looked at her and said with just as much placidity, "It was us."

The word "us" hung in the air, just waiting for someone to grab hold of it again. Before the silence became too awkward, she finally agreed with a nod of her head. Yes, he was right. She slipped her hand into his and strongly suggested, "So let's resolve this now."

He tightened the grip on her hand in accord. For the first time since he suggested it, they were finally going to make their existence more enjoyable. He paused for a millisecond, knowing the importance of this moment. He leaned down hesitantly and kissed her as solidly on the lips as best he could. He released his lips from hers and she whispered softly, "I love you."

"I love you too," he answered with all the strength left in him. Those words had left his lips so many times before to so many different women, but this time he meant it. He meant it with all of his heart and soul. It was then Mattie's theory became clear. They needed to hear the words.

He gave a small smile and added matter of factly, "I can't believe it took us ten years to figure that out."

"I can," Mattie remarked out loud, but covered her mouth. She had just arrived, but didn't want to interrupt their conversation, so she hung around for a minute waiting for them to finish. The two ghosts turned around, half scolding her with their eyes for eavesdropping, but also looking quite embarrassed as well. The young woman shrugged and said, "I'm sorry. You did say I could join you later. I didn't mean to listen in..."

Harm held up his hand to say it was okay, then waved her over. "It's okay. We were just admiring the view."

Mattie instantly took him up on his invitation and scampered over to them. Harm wrapped his ghostly arm around her, while Mac wrapped her arm around his waist. A sudden sadness washed over him just as their was slight change in the wind. He looked over his shoulder and confirmed his suspicion.

It was time.

To be continued...


	9. Hail and Farewell: A Noble Adieu

Disclaimer: JAG is the property of Donald P. Bellisario, Paramount Pictures, CBS Television and Belisarius Productions. I hope I spelled all of that stuff right.

Author's Note: One last time I would like to thank you soo much for your feedback! I hope you enjoy the close to this tale!

"Unfinished Business"

by e-dog

**Chapter Nine**

**Hail and Farewell: A Noble Adieu**

Mac had noticed Harm's sudden silence and inattentiveness. She too looked over her shoulder and saw it. That same bright light that Clay had walked into a week ago. It softened a bit, becoming circular. It looked like an inviting portal to an unknown world. A portal that would finally lead them to eternal rest. However, there was something different this time.There was something was coming out of the light! She whispered, "Harm?"

"I see it," he said quietly, feeling a pang of fear at the approaching shape. Clay's exit seemed so simple, but this unnerved him. What was coming at them?

Mattie unwrapped herself from Harm's arm and turned around to look at what they were viewing as well. She squinted and then saw the figure too. She couldn't recognize who it was, then Mac mumbled a name that she couldn't understand. Harm looked at Mac first, saying it wasn't possible, but Mac wasn't listening to him. Suddenly, the figure was clear as day, wearing a Marine uniform and smiling a toothy grin at them. At that, Mac shouted in surprise and excitement, "Uncle Matt!"

Her ghost flew at him suddenly, embracing the other wispy frame. Harm stood there still too stunned to move. Uncle Matt was coming out of the bright light?

Mac released her uncle and shook her head, "I don't understand...you died...?"

"Yes, I did," Matt nodded, as Harm floated over slowly. "While I was still at Leavonworth. Heart attack. Maybe a year after I heard you twowere killed."

Harm finally found his voice and asked, "Are you the welcoming party?"

"You can call it that," Matt smiled and gave Mac another hug. "You have been down here way too long, Sarah. I thought this day would never come."

Once his hug with Mac was over, he firmly took Harm's hand and shook it. "It's good to see you too, Sailor."

"Likewise, sir," Harm smiled back, still feeling very weird about the whole situation. Uncle Matt was the closest thing to Mac's dad. He felt awkward; suddenly feeling like Mac's boyfriend and fearing the reaction of the father. "Uh, sir, if I may say so...I..."

"Don't worry, Harm," Matt chuckled, sensing Harm's uneasiness. "I'll admit, I didn't approve of you at first...but I wouldn't want anyone else with Sarah."

"Oh, right, thanks," Harm mumbled and felt a tug on his arm. He turned around and saw Mattie, on the verge of tears but still smiling. His face dropped and he looked at her with saddened eyes, "Oh, Mattie..."

"No, it's time you go," Mattie interrupted him and sniffled. "Don't be sad. I'm really very happy. I promise."

"You're a special young lady, Miss Grace," Matt told her with a warm smile. "You have a gift. At first, it's hard to handle, but I trust you'll do the right thing."

Mattie just slowly nodded, not sure how to respond to that. Never in her wildest dreams did she think she would be able to communicate with the dead. Never. Now another spirit was telling her she had a gift. A gift she should share with other people. She forced a smile and finally said, "I'll do my best."

"And that's all we can ask of you," Matt winked at her, then gently pulled Mac by her hand. "It's time to go you two."

Before Harm and Mac could comply, there was another voice. An older one, but it sounded vaguely familiar. "Now wait, Matt! They can't come in here looking like that! They've been wearing the same clothes for 10 years!"

Harm and Mac watched another spirit come out of the portal and said simultaneously, "Mrs. Webb?"

The shock of seeing her wore off quickly. With all that had gone on in the last two months, nothing surprised them so they waited until she floated over. She smiled cordially at them, before holding up her present. In her hands she held Mac's Marine cover and Harm's Navy cover. "I believe these belong to you."

They both took their covers and held them, suddenly feeling whole again. Just the sight of them made them remember just what they're past lives were all about. Why they chose the path that they did and what it was that made them good officers in the first place. Mac was the first to putit back on, feeling the weight of her cover on her head again. With that action, there was a flash of colorful luminosity and when it cleared...she felt different. Mattie beamed and said, "Welcome back, Col. Mackenzie."

She was in her Marine greens again, all her medals and bars on her jacket. Her shoes, tights, skirt. Everything was there. It felt so good to don the uniform again. Matt coughed and said, "Stop gawking, Sailor and get put that cover on!"

"Yes, sir!" Harm said quickly, averting his eyes away from Mac as fast as he could. He heard Mac laugh at him and he glared at her playfully, "I can always take that 'I love you' back and doom us to an eternity of nothingness and..."

"Just put the damn cover on!" Matt barked.

"Right," Harm shut up and slowly but surely stuck the cover on his head. The same thing happened with him just as it did with Mac. The flash of light and the revealing of Comdr. Harmon Rabb, Jr. as he once was. Harm ran his finger over his wings and medals. He smiled to himself and gulped back any sign of tears or emotion. He finally looked up and said with confidence, "I'm ready to come home, sir."

"Good," Matt said, this time his smile returning. He nodded at Mattie before turning on his heel to head back; Mrs. Webb was close behind him.

Mac drifted over to Mattie and hugged her, "Thank you. I'll miss you."

"You're welcome and I'll miss you too," Mattie replied, feeling a real pressure from the embrace. The most solid physical contact she had been able to feel from either one of them. Then it was Harm's turn. His longer arms scooping her up into the air and spinning her around, causing her to laugh.

"That's right, laugh. No crying allowed," Harm ordered as he set her down. "You be good."

"I will," Mattie smiled.

"And don't drive Jenn and Jason crazy," Harm went on.

"Okay, Harm...," Mattie nodded.

"And if you get kicked out of law school, I may have to come back and..."

"Harm! I get it! I'm 26, remember?" Mattie laughed and hugged him again. "I'll be fine."

"I know you will be, kiddo," Harm said, before letting her go for the last time. "I know."

Mac pulled on his arm, indicating this was the last chance to leave. Mattie watched them float away until they were practically standing in the "doorway" of the portal. There was one last glint of light off of Harm's gold wings and then he flashed that infamous smile of his. The portal started to close with his arm wrapped tightly around Mac's shoulders and her arm around his waist. They were finally at peace and where they belonged. With each other.

She blinked once and then saw nothing but beach and sand. She whispered, "Goodbye..."

"Mattie!"

She turned and looked down the beach to see Little AJ running at her full speed. She wondered why he was here and waited for him to reach her. He stopped when he got to her, out of breath and red in the face from running. Once he was ready he spoke really fast, "We came back to check on you. I wanted to make sure no more ghosts were hurting you again..."

She smiled and tilted her head to the side, "While that's incredibly sweet of you to say, the last time a ghost attacked me, he whipped you with a rope and you ran off."

"Hey, it's hard to fight something you can't see!" he said defending himself and holding up his arm, showing her the rope burn from that incident. "I never saw this coming!"

Mattie laughed and started to head back to the house. "Let's go."

"What? Why?" Little AJ followed her. "Are Harm and Mac around? Maybe we can play football. You know, have you and Mac on a team and Harm and I on another."

Mattie paused, realizing how much fun that would've been. She turned to him and said carefully, "They...went home, AJ. Do you understand what I mean?"

He stopped, pondered that statement for a minute, then motioned up to the sky with his eyes, "Like...heaven?"

"Sure," Mattie shrugged, not quite sure what to call the place they had left to. "That's where they are. They don't exist here anymore. I'm sorry..."

He let his shoulder's drop in disappointment, but he understood completely. They had entirely crossed over, just like all ghosts do eventually. He put his hands in his pockets and said, "I'll be inside soon. I need a minute..."

"Sure," Mattie said, completely sympathizing. While she walked off, AJ plopped down in the sand and put his head in his hands. He looked out at the ocean, sorry his encounter with actual ghosts had come to an end so soon. He was also sad his last opportunity to play football with Harm slipped through his fingers as well. He spread out on the beach, not caring if he got sand in his hair or under his clothes. He closed his eyes, trying to hold back any tears and listened to the wind and the seagulls fly over head.

"AJ!"

He opened his eyes lethargically and sat up. He turned his head and blinked his eyes, not believing what he was seeing! He stood up and saw an object flying at him. He recognized the thing and caught it. It was a football! He stared out ahead and saw Harm waving at him and yelling, "C'mon! Are we going to play or not?"

AJ didn't care if this was real or not. He was getting his wish! He threw the football back and Harm caught it. He tossed the ball up in the air behind his back and then caught it in front of him, obviously showing off. AJ waited on him to throw it back, but Harm stopped tossing the ball and looked at him. He winked and said knowingly, "You don't really want to play football, do you?"

Little AJ opened his eyes again and sat up. He looked around. There was no football and there was definitely no Harm. He had been dreaming. He leaned back in the sand shaking his head, using his hands to support himself, but felt a sharp tip poke his palm.

"Ow," he mumbled and found the item that had caused the pain. He looked at it dazed as he wiped the sand off of it. It was a pair of gold wings, similar to the ones he always saw on Uncle Harm's uniform! Where did they come from? He looked around and didn't see anyone that could've dropped them. He let the wheels crank in his head as he smiled mischievously. Or maybe...someone did drop them so he could find them! He hopped up quicky and held up the wings in the air to get a good look at them. Just to make sure they were real.

He wasn't sure whether Harm's ghost dropped the wings on purpose or not, but he knew one thing for sure now. He smiled and said aloud, "You're right, Uncle Harm. I don't want to play football. I want to fly like you!"

He spread out his arms like wings, made a few circles in the sand then started to sprint back towards Manderlee. He couldn't wait to tell his father the good news. He was suddenly five years old again and he couldn't wait to grow up and join the Navy. He couldn't wait to grow up and be like Uncle Harm.

And this time, there was nothing that was going to stop him!

The End


End file.
